Chicago 2040: Action 3
by steelraven
Summary: Vigilante cops and a Genom exec from Michigan promise to make life very, very interesting for the Steel Ravens.
1. Action and Reaction

Action and Reaction  
_By Shaine and Shatterclaw. Individual rating: R._

_The bits of German in the Val Smith segments are, respectively "Get out, f***er!" and "Is there someone there?" Both are from the German vandals scene in "Blade Runner." Thanks to _[_http://scribble.com/uwi/br/br-script.html_][1]_ for the translation._

The punching bag jerked away. The seam split a little wider, sand spilling out along its side. She kicked in toward it again. Punch, kick, roundhouse, backstep. Kick, punch, roundhouse, backstep.

How could she have been fooled by a Boomer? Jump kick... She should have known. Breathing. Yes, the breathing would have been mechanical...or at least should have been... Punch, kick, backstep.

The problem was not with Saki but with the Kohls of the world...one was enemy, one was ally, but both had interrupted her lifestyle. Sure, it was training a new member, and she had done it before. But this time she _liked _the new member, as much as she still wished the same hatred would be there as it had been for the others.

It wasn't. "Damn her."

She attacked the bag outright, throwing as many punches into it as she could. The bag gave way under the stress and slammed down to the floor.

Footsteps...behind her. Closing.

Falling effortlessly into motions she'd been trained to make by one long dead, Saki went into fighting mode. First a roundhouse, to turn her toward her enemy. Then she took a new stance and went on the attack. The enemy was able to fend her off, but not easily; he was still hobbled by a cast on one foot.

She tried to sweep his foot, but he managed to jump over the sweep. He stumbled.

"Saki, are you upset?"

She looked at him...he was grinning... _How dare he make fun of...!_

He swept _her_ foot, landing her on her rear. Then he offered his hand.

She slapped it aside and pulled herself up.

"Feeling better?"

"No."

"What happened?"

"I would rather not--"

"Don't," Crimson warned. "I heard part of it on the police band. I know someone took on Erik Kohl, alone, and left a mess. No reports of a big black bird, no K-11's, no gunfire. No mad Boomer. It was done fast, and quiet. No one outside the house was hurt. Only one person in Chicago could have done it like that."

"You're wrong. Many could have done it...but I alone have broken your rules."

"I see. Let's go back to my office."

The walk there was silent. She wondered when he would end her life - he had to kill her, had to enforce the rules...

Once they were in the office and she was seated, he closed the door. "What happened?"

"Erik Kohl paid Miss Veldez a visit today...asking about Shaine."

"I see. Go on."

"He...was looking for her..some of her friends had been killed. Or so he suggested.

"It seems the FBI is looking for them, and maybe Shaine."

"So you went and killed the messenger for warning her?" Crimson could not believe what he was hearing. She, out of all the Ravens, had been steadfast and always played by the rules - now it seemed she was throwing those same rules out the window.

"No. He has hurt her...and will do so again..." Saki got up and began to pace. 

"It's not your place, Saki. Shaine has her demons to deal with--"

Saki cut him off. "He has killed her likeness, many times over. Would he still be able to see the real person, or would she be just another possession?" She slammed the chair forward.

"You're walking a fine line, Saki."

"You think I do not know that? --Why should he have the power to hurt her? Just because he is her uncle? Does _any_ human have that right?"

"No, no he doesn't, but it's not for us to decide. If he tries to hurt Shaine, then we can go after him. All you did was alert him to that danger." Crimson walked out from behind his desk. "What is it with Shaine and you?" 

Saki recoiled. "There is _nothing_. We are friends...nothing more."

"Saki, you didn't take a vow, or promise yourself to her happiness or the like, did you?"

"And if I did?"

"It's not going to work. Not with Shaine, she's too independant."

"I'm sure she'd like to think she is."

"Is she, Saki? A follower would have stayed with her uncle, and with Genom."

"She stayed until it became impossible to do so. Just look at her: the same men, the same authority figures, over and over. The same jobs, the same irresponsible behavior...all of it programmed as if she were another one of Kohl's Boomers."

"Yes, reminds me of someone else. Same honor to the family, same self-righteous attitude...same need to be shown that there is more out there than what's been handed to them. Just because she has followed that path doesn't mean she doesn't want to step off of it."

"That is what I was trying to do: save her from that path."

"Was it? 

"No. What you were trying to do was murder a man - a man who may be evil but is still a key part of her. Until she sees that evil, with her own eyes open, she won't let him go."

"Then she shouldn't be here. Not until she _can_ see it."

"No, I don't believe she can do it on her own."

"She's a danger to us as long as she clings to him."

"As dangerous as Rika or Jade? You've come to accept them."

"They've proven themselves. She hasn't. We may have tested her but we didn't test her loyalty. What happens if she runs back to her family?"

"How would you do that? Kill Erik?"

"At least then she wouldn't have a family to run to."

"Have her take his place in Genom, and then fight her as well? No, you're right. We would have taken her entire family from her. We would have robbed her of her only link to the past...not that I forget who that link is. She's in the middle, and the cost of failure is her life - much as it was with yours. You're asking me to cut the only link she has left...what would you do?"

He smiled grimly. "No answer? It's not as easy as it sounds, bannou bishoujo mouko... I'm not going to turn her away. I didn't do it with you and I refuse to do it to any member of this team, including the niece of an enemy." _Or the daughter. _"If and when she betrays us to Erik, I will be ready for it."

"Will you? Will you be able to kill _her_ after we took her in?"

The expression in his eyes was answer enough. "We live by our code, and it wouldn't be the first time that code was enforced. 

"Darien was a prime example of what needed to be done: he lost sight of our rules, and now he lies in an unmarked grave. You tell me whether I'd do what needed to be done. I did it to a man I served with, one who was like a brother to me. But he broke our rule. No, Saki, I don't have it in me...

"I don't have it in me to kill. And yet they gave me the name Crimson, for the street ran red..."

"He did it with eyes wide open. If you argue that she's too blind to turn away, then she's also too blind to punish."

"She won't be blind for much longer. She comes on our missions; how long does it take to open one's eyes?"

Once again, Saki did not answer.

"She's seen what it takes to be a Raven. She has the stuff. She does hold back when it comes to taking a life, and I wonder if that's not a bad thing, but she's strong enough. She's saved my life...she's saved Harris. What more proof do you want? Do you want to owe someone else a life debt?"

The computer beeped. "Crimson, someone has just broken into Ms. Kohl's apartment," Raven said.

"Raven, ID."

"Unknown. He is not on any known Genom file or in any Raven database."

"Great. Saki, keep an eye on things. I'm going to look into this."

Raven spoke again: "ID found: FBI files. Michael Paul Smith, occupation: hacker. Handle: Valentine."

"You remember his file, Saki?"

"That amateur?" She swore in Thai. "He's no good for anything except cop bait! Shiftless, spineless..."

"Yes, that one. But you're being too hard on him, Saki...he's going to be great fun."

"Fun?"

"Yes, fun. One thing I haven't had in quite a while."

"You would _dare_ risk our security for fun."

"There will be no security risk."

"If you associate with him, there will be blood in the streets again and it will be _ours_."

"Save the rant; I know how to handle it. ...Go ahead, glare at me...but we both know that I'm right."

He grabbed his trenchcoat and walked out.

///

The room's floor was littered with clothing and beer bottles, and the bed had obviously not been made in some time. CDs and DVDs lay outside their cases on the desk, dresser, and tabletops. There was a man sleeping in the bed, not too tall but gangly as if he'd never outgrown that awkward stage, and most of his sandy brown hair tied back by a moonstone-covered clip about a third of the way down his back.

A small amount of light shone from the window, casting sharp highlights on Valentine's face. It seemed not to bother him.

Crimson slid into the room, knocking over a beer bottle. Val turned over and mumbled something incoherent.

Looking around, Crimson could tell that the place was a mess even by Shaine's standards. The beer bottles were a year's supply for her, and not even her brand; the loose CDs would have sent her into apoplexy; and a book of poems, obviously handwritten, lay open for any observer to read.

"Looks like we have a guest," he said softly. 

"Huh? That you, kid?"

Stealthily making his way around the piles of junk, Crimson pulled out his Desert Eagle.

"Scully?"

"No, Mulder, it's the Cancer Man."

Valentine bolted upright. "What did you do to her!" The barrel of the gun found its way to the side of his neck.

"If you're working for _them_, I'm not going to tell you anything. So you can just let Erik know that I'm not playing his sick little game..."

"I hope you have a reason for _this_," the dark-skinned man said, looking around the room.

"...No matter what he did to Shang."

The man grinned. "Shang, huh?"

Val glared at him.

"Okay, bright boy, let me spin you a tale. A friend of a friend is asked to housesit. He goes out one night after the house has been broken into....he gets it fixed up, or what passes for fixed. Only gone for a day or so, he comes home to find it a mess. So he feels he has two choices: one, shoot the pig that made the mess, or two, hang him. Which would you do?"

"I think I see," Val answered slowly.

"Do you?"

"You're not going to find Crash."

"Crash?"

Val didn't speak.

"Your name, joy boy, _now_ if you please?"

"Michael Smith."

"Okay, Michael Smith, what are you doing here?"

"I'm telling you..." He took a deep breath. "I am _not_ going to serve the file on my friends."

"Crash...that's the one they nabbed, isn't he?"

"Shang? He _wishes_."

"Illegal hacking at Genom?"

"More than just Genom," he replied proudly. "I was working on Majestic 13; Scully said she was going to help."

Crimson rolled his eyes. _What I need right now is a hacker-to-English dictionary. _"So you were working on hacking the 13?"

Valentine shook his head. "Crazy bitch...she never torches anything, just steals their code for herself..."

"Scully's smart, Mulder. She's not the one with an agent holding a gun on her right now."

"If she's so smart, why's she let that child molester play mind games with her?"

"Personal problems. Neither you or I have any right to judge her on that. But that's not your biggest worry, right now..."

"And don't even get me _started_ on what she's like i--" He wisely cut himself off, his jaw clicking shut.

The dark man brought the gun up to Val's head. "Don't even talk about her personal life outside of work..." He pulled the hammer back. "I do not want to hear what's going to come out next..."

Val gritted his teeth and swallowed the rest of his words.

"Now, what was it you were saying about Crash? And what does it have to do with you being here...now, at this time...and in this mess?"

"No way, man. She's _gone._" 

"Yes, I know, she's gone to a better place."

"_What?_"

"It's called vacation, Michael."

"Suuuuure..."

"Sunny beaches...all expenses paid...something about work picking up the tab. Check her travel plans if you don't believe me."

"And I suppose the Professor's on vacation too."

"He might be...but I know Mary Ann's around here somewhere!"

"You bastards! If you killed Yuan..."

"Thanks. How did you know?" _Damn you, Val, he didn't know..._ But it earned him some space between his body and the gun.

"Okay, why would I kill Yuan...Shen Yuan, Rochester College, I assume?"

Val turned to look at the other man. "Same reason as any of us. Crash, Tsen, Scully, Mycroft... You _know _why."

The man grabbed a chair and turned it back to face 'Mulder,' sitting down. "Pretend I don't. Pretend, maybe...I'm just a friend come to water the plants."

"Scully was getting close to some next-level shit in your databases...something called Nexus-6. A combat Boomer, but not like any kind of Boomer we've seen."

"Ah huh..." _I'll have to ask Shaine about this..._

"It didn't look real. Prof gave the design to some friends in Bio; they said it was impossible."

"They're so close to human that you can't even tell under a lie detector. Am I right?"

"Well, I don't know about that but if you stripped out the heavy weaponry, maybe... Mycroft thought it was a hoax."

"But it's not."

"Yeah. Guess not."

The man grinned at him.

"Myke knows some Army types and she asked them...never seen anything like this either... Scully was trying to hack the German Army to check them out."

"But she never got that far."

He nodded. "One thing I'll say about them, that civil war sure made them paranoid about security. Both sides of the new Berlin Wall locked up tighter than Alcatraz. Crash was working on a few code bombs to throw at them...that's what she does best, right?"

"But Genom nabbed her before she could use them..."

"I don't know anything about that. All I know is, they took the Prof and Shang... Wait. You're not Genom?"

"I never said I was."

"Then who are you?"

"That, my friend, is the million dollar question."

"Sure. Right.

"Well...if you're going up against Genom and you need a hacker who doesn't suffer from PMS, I'm not planning on going anywhere." He raised a eyebrow.

"And you think you're man enough to hack for us?"

He nodded. "You remember the Microsoft shutdown a coupla years back?"

"Yeah, minor job, lacked vision. Could have been done better."

"Oh, sure..."

"You asked."

"And then there's that little fake stock market crash last January..."

"And you did that?"

"Anyway, you ask around in the hacker newsgroups for Valentine, and they'll tell you all you need to know."

"Yeah, they have, and I'm still not impressed."

"Fine. Your grief...but I'm still hacking Genom. With or without you."

"True, you're good, but face the facts, Mulder. You'll still get your ass kicked. Go ahead." He stood. "But one thing..."

Crimson walked to the window. A raven sat on the ledge outside.

"Yeah, X?"

Crim opened the window and let the bird in.

"I'm waiting."

The bird cawed and hopped onto Crimson's arm. "Where do you want your body sent?"

Val glared at him.

"Of course..you might get lucky one day, and wind up on vacation with Scully. Then maybe you two might get that damned kiss right..."

Valentine stood up. "Scießkerl! Hau ab!" His accent carried traces of Shaine's, but was even more mangled.

"I'm going now. I strongly suggest that you clean this place up." He walked to the door. "She even swears better than you..." 

Crimson laughed and went out the door.

///

_Beer...need beer... Damn, nothing left except that sissy stuff Shaine drinks. _Val dug through his jeans pockets, came up with a few fives. _Well, that should be enough..._

Throwing on a Mystic Spiral t-shirt over the jeans, he grabbed the spare set of keys and left. There was a store down the street that sold his usual - as if he was really that picky - and it was close enough that he didn't really need a jacket.

As he walked back cradling the bulky paper bag, he saw a raven sitting on the sidewalk. It was staring at him as it picked apart something it'd probably pulled out of a garbage can...it looked vaguely foodlike but Val couldn't pinpoint its origins for certain. The bird let out a loud _caw_ and then tossed it at him.

"_Caw, caw!_" It flew over his head, the strong wind lifting it up. There was a spring chill in the air.

He shivered.

A voice called out softly: _Valentine..._ He turned around, but saw nothing. 

_Valentine..._ This time it was in front of him, the artificial purr a synthesis of Darth Vader and Barry Manilow. He started walking faster.

Passing an alleyway, a flock of ravens swooped down toward him and grabbed the bag away, flying a few feet before the weight was too much and they had to land. "What the--?"

"Caw, caw, _caw!_"

_Valentine, come here!_ The ravens backed away from the bag and one bottle exploded. 

"Ist jemand drinnen?"

Val felt a tap at his shoulder and he turned to face a fire-streaked shadow. The black-clad thing stood about a foot taller than him, with glowing red eyes - and wings...

"Yes, there _is_ someone here. There is always someone here. We watch over this city..." The wings seemed to warp around him. "What do you want in my city?"

_Oh, shit, Shang was right...there really is a Nexus-6..._

"Genom is _ours_ to take down! Your path leads only to more pain for _our_ people... 

"We watch over this city; we take care of those who honor its roots..." The creature - definitely not a Nexus-6 - grabbed him by his shirt and belt, lifting him up into the air.

"Know this: we will be watching you. You want to fly with the big birds? You want to go to the Tower and fight the two dragons that live there? You have to get through us first. Do you understand, little Fox?"

They were headed for the Tower. Val didn't dare speak for fear of screaming.

"Is _this_ what you want to take on?

"You do not speak, little Fox...you come to my city, spoil your lair, and then you do not speak to me.."

The creature held him up higher, so that they were face to face. "No matter...I will be watching you." Crimson hovered down to the ground, dropping Val a few feet up.

Valentine fell, rolling a bit on the way down, and stared up at the sky as soon as he'd landed. 

There was no trace of the black, winged creature...

///

_"She's dead?"_

_"I forgive you...father..."_

There was a fiery flash of pain, surrounded by the choking cold of a mountain range in winter.

_No. Not again, not _now...

Erik forced himself back to the here-and-now, staring at the piece of paper in his hand. An invitation to the mad tea party...

Or so he told himself. It was so unlike Carter to do this. A handwritten letter...RSVP...just for him to come to her office. He got the vague feeling that if he had any sense, he ought to run away screaming.

But he couldn't, especially not then, and so he had no choice.

"Hello, Carter."

"Ah, Erik! Please do come in." Her tone was almost warm as she held the door for him. Inside were two young interns, one male and one female. The woman was Asian, and the male had long hair; both were dressed to the height of fashion. "I wanted you to meet my new interns."

She smiled a little. "Actually, we may have to share them for a time until their duties have been firmly set..."

"I see."

Carter walked to them and placed a hand on each one's shoulder. "This is Ms. Rice, and Mr. Renard. Aren't they just the best?" she squealed with something like delight. "Would you please take them on a grand tour of our happy little _family_?" She hit the last word with uncommon emphasis. _Damn it, what does she know about what happened last night?_

_I destroyed all of the records...and all of them go through me before they get to her; it's been that way since before Sansweet died..._

"I...suppose so." He glanced at Rice, and was rewarded with a warm but primal smile.

"It is an honor to meet you, sir." Renard just looked at him and said nothing.

"In fact, Erik dear, if you can do this for me I can help with that problem you had the other night..."

_I am out of my depth..._ "Well, then...shall we get started?"

"Yes, you should. I'm going; I'll meet up with you later."

He looked at her balefully as she left. "Why don't we start with the labs, then?"

As they walked out, two of Evon's lab monkeys passed by. Turning to the other, one whispered, "Are those her new toys?"

"Yeah, better not get in their way...she _hand picked _them... They say she has them trained already."

Erik glanced at them and they scurried away. _Damned human rats..._

The tour was a mostly painless process, made sweet by some uncomfortable questions directed at Evon. Once he was done, Erik ditched the interns upon Carter's doorstep and ducked back into his office before she could find another job for him.

"You have a call on line three, sir."

He glanced at his secretary. "Yes, all right..."

_That had damned well better be Bunny._

"Hello?"

"Guten tag, Herr Erik," the flat voice murmured.

"Hase!"

"I've been waiting for you," she continued in German.

"My apologies. The Borg Queen wanted to see me."

"Ah. Is she still giving you trouble?" 

"_Trouble_ doesn't even begin to cover it. I'm certain she sent someone to kill me." _Maybe I can play the one off the other... Wait. Couldn't it be possible? Could she be helping Starbright, hiring Veldez, to keep Shaine away from me?_

"Really." There was no surprise or questioning in her tone; he wondered if it was the Boomer Syndrome flaring up again or if she really just didn't give a damn. "I didn't think she would risk Quincy's wrath in such a reckless fashion."

"Rumor has it Quincy's getting friendly with Steiner."

Her voice changed sharply...he'd hit the mark on that one. "Yes, so the rumors say...they also say that Carter has been...ah...more than friendly with the Chairman...

"Perhaps we should let these two vipers meet."

"That would be...desirable. But I know of no way to lure either toward the other."

"What of the rumored trouble with other undesirables? Might they hold the key?"

"It's more than a rumor. They're after me too...that's what happened to Kathy."

"I see. You have proof of this?"

He laughed sharply. "If you'd seen the bodies..."

"Save them for me. There may be something we can use."

"I'll have them sent up as soon as you bring me the replacement."

"Good, then in two days we shall have means to do so..."

"Oh?"

"I have some business in Chicago."

"Really! How...nice..." _How perfect. She's the sort of woman I should have on my side at a time like this..._ "You bring the Boomers and I'll bring the wine, as usual?"

"Of course."

"It'll have to be your place; the current...ahhh...difficulties have impacted on my living arrangements."

"I see. Can you recommend a good place to stay?"

"There's the Drake, or the President..."

"Hm. I have heard of the Drake...yes, please, the Drake will do."

"All right, then."

"Have you heard that Mason will be making the rounds?"

"Mason? No..."

"Yes. It seems he'll be coming to the States within the next three to four weeks. Several of our brothers and sisters have had birdlike problems."

"I see."

"He's taken it upon himself to check these alleged reports out. It may amuse you to know that one of those so troubled is Carter's toyboy in San Francisco. I haven't found out Mason's timetable yet..."

"I'll put someone on that."

"Be careful, Erik. He's too close to the top."

"I know."

"If anything he can take the viper away from the mongeese..." She hung up.

He set the phone down, then looked up to see Cullyn staring at him with piercing eyes. "Going to go home now?"

"Yes, let me just take care of a few more loose ends..."

///

The place was crawling with ADP. Erik scowled as he noticed that Jacob and Jamson were there with the rest of the officers standing in front of the house.

"Good morning, officer! Is there something I can do for you?" Cullyn called out, staring hungrily at Jacob.

"Well, for one thing you registry number and serial ID."

"I beg your pardon?" _I don't want to die...Erik promised me more life...fucking police Boomer! What do you know about us?_

"And where is Mr. Kohl?"

"Right here." She tried to look stunned.

"You're a Boomer, right?"

"No."

Jacob looked at her, muttering, "Heads will roll..." He then took out a cell phone and began to talk. "Sorry, Miss, but we have in our report that you are a Boomer..."

"No. My name is Lorelei Kohl; I'm his cousin." 

"Now, how do you spell that?"

She spelled it for him, with a mild Korean accent she'd been affecting since the beginning of the conversation. 

"Mmm...all right, could you spell that again?" She overenunciated it that time.

"Kohl's German...how did you come to be one of the family?"

"Well, ah, actually...it's my husband that's his cousin."

"Evon Kohl, thought dead?"

"No!"

"He's not dead?"

"Douglas..."

"Douglas?" The Boomer continued writing on his notepad.

"Erik is the son of my husband's uncle." _And we didn't even need to fake records; they were all destroyed in the war..._

"I see..."

"Would you like me to pull out a copy of the family tree?" she asked dryly.

"Yes, if you'd be so kind... How many Boomers does your cousin have?"

"Why, I don't know! Shouldn't you ask him?"

"I intend to, ma'am. Now, where were you at the time of the event?"

"Event? Oh, the attack... I was downtown."

"I see. Where downtown, may I ask?"

"I wandered around for a while...in the mall, underground."

"Um hmmmm...and where about?"

She blinked. "You know, the whole thing looks the same to me. It's the first time I've been down here."

"Did you go with someone else?"

"No."

"I see. Where were you born?"

"Seoul, Korea." It was consistent with her appearance and apparent age; the Seoul earthquakes would have destroyed another mountain of damning evidence.

"Um...mother's name? Father's, for that matter?"

"Rae and Jessica Kim. They were killed by the quakes when I was twenty or so."

"Any other family we should know of?"

She shook her head. "I don't know how any of this relates..."

"I'm sure you wouldn't, ma'am...but in the end it will."

"My sister Mina lives in Newfoundland...that's all..."

"I see. Do you have an address for her?"

"Of course." She recited not only the address but also the telephone number of another Replicant kept by a Genom section head in that province.

Jacob continued writing furiously; the pencil snapped in two from the strain. Cullyn looked at him, surprised, as he simply and calmly pulled out a pen.

"So who was here during the event?"

"I'm not sure."

"From what I've been told," Erik interjected, "It was just the Boomers...though I was out with Katerin and can't tell you for certain. Excluding Katerin and my double, that would have made eight."

Jacob continued to shoot questions at Cullyn, who answered them perfectly. Finally, giving up on her, he turned to Erik. "Ah, Mr. Kohl..." He somehow managed to mispronounce the name. "How are you today?"

"Quite weary."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Of course not. --Lori, why don't you go in?"

"Good, good... How many Boomers do you own?"

"Eight, as I just said. Or eight _now_, rather..."

"Their registration, and serial numbers?"

He recited all eight as if accustomed to doing so. 

"Hmm...and where are they now?"

"Six should be in the house right now; the others are at the lab."

"Would you call them out here, Mr. Kohl?"

"Yes, of course."

Jacob took out his radio and began speaking to someone as Erik walked to the front door. Callysta opened it, and a moment later five Replicants followed her out.

"Mr. Kohl, with your permission, I would like to have these checked out."

"Of course."

"Thank you." Eight officers carrying heavy guns walked over; six of them each took a Boomer by the arm and the two remaining watched from a short distance.

"Should I have the other two sent down?"

"Yes, please."

He pulled out his cell phone. "Yes, Dr. Halas, please." Jacob wrote the name down on a new page. "Ah. Doctor. Would you have my two Boomers go down to the ADP headquarters as soon as possible? ...Yes, still looking into it... Thank you...

"Now, what were you saying, Officer?"

"What happened here, Mr. Kohl?"

"I thought I told you that already."

"Well, for the record, let's go over it again."

"I was out in the woods with Katerin when someone shot her. By the time I got back to the house, it was in ruins and one of the girls told me that someone had killed my Boomer double."

"And you need this double for protection, even though it hasn't been registered?"

"It has been registered, with the research group."

"And what number was it?"

"USCH-1055A-EK5. It's a purely internal registration; the Boomer was never meant to set foot outside my house or Genom property. Therefore it did not need city or state registration. That's standard procedure; if others knew about these doubles they would be less effective."

"I'm afraid not, sir. Some new laws have come into effect."

Erik raised an eyebrow. "I was assured that everything was in order." 

"Well, no. You're not up to code."

"I...see."

"All Boomers, including doubles, have to be registered with the local ADP, in forty-five states. In the five remaining states, doubles are illegal. Chicago is on the verge of adopting that stricter law as well. Now, you said that it was never meant to leave your house or Genom property..."

"Yes."

"How did you maintain the Boomer?"

"I took it back to the lab, let the interns have it."

"I see. How often did you do this?"

"Once every three months or so, I'd say, same as the others."

"Do you have records?"

"I'm not sure..." He looked mildly uncomfortable. "They may have been destroyed in the blast, but the lab would have a copy of everything."

"You should keep a backup."

"The lab _is_ my backup."

"Okay. We have a team there now."

"You'll want to ask Rhiannon; she's the Boomer in charge of those things."

He nodded. "I'm sure they'll find everything in order."

"Of course."

"Now, who saw the attacker?"

"No one saw the attack in the house. And I was the only one who saw the other shooting."

"Who called the ADP?"

"I'm not sure."

Jacob had had a tape recorder in one hand; he fumbled with it for a moment, then put it away. "Okay, Mr. Kohl. I'm done with you, but there's a Mr. Walker from the US Marshalls..."

"Oh?"

"He'd like to share a few words with you."

Walker was already headed toward them, a huge, tall, bear of a man, built like a Boomer and dressed like a modern cowboy - complete with white hat. "Erik Kohl?"

"Yes, how may I help you, sir?"

"You're to come with me; we have reason to believe that you have unregistered Boomers on civilian property..."

"I see..."

"Violating at least twenty-seven municipal codes and seventeen - no, eighteen - federal codes."

Erik blinked. "Mein Gott..."

"Yes, you've been busy, Mr. Kohl."

He stood there, apparently stunned, as the Marshall produced plastic handcuffs and read him his rights. Cullyn looked out the window, caught his eye. He nodded ever so slightly toward her.

"Lieutenant Jamson. I want everyone in here who isn't a badge taken as well. Make sure the house is clean." Walker pushed Erik toward his truck as a full squad of anti-Boomer, front line ADP went charging toward the house.

A raven sitting in a nearby tree took it all in, a breeze ruffling its rainbow-hued feathers.

   [1]: http://scribble.com/uwi/br/br-script.html



	2. Fire and Lightning

Fire and Lightning  
_By Harris, Mitch, Shaine, and Shatterclaw. Individual rating: R._

The candles flickered as Shaine stared into the center of the circle they formed. _This usually works by now...damn, can't even get my eyes to unfocus..._

There was a knock at the door. She ignored it.

_Go away!_

"Shaine?" It was Crimson's voice. "Can I come in?"

She got up and reluctantly opened the door.

"Yeah."

He walked in, looking not at her surroundings but only at her. It was dark, with only the light of five candles on a low table to add to the moonlight streaming in from one window.

"I heard what happened on the mission."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. Would you like to talk about it?"

"No."

"There are a few things I need to know."

She looked at him oddly. Her face was utterly blank, but her eyes shone as if she'd connected with something deeper than he could have imagined.

"I know it seems a bit cold, but you were up against a lot. I worried about you."

"You didn't need to."

"Don't I?"

"Whatever I do is my choice...not Harris's."

"And it was _my_ choice to drag you into this life."

She shook her head.

"See how the circle turns?"

"The person who got me here isn't in this room." She stopped, thinking. "People..." she corrected herself.

"They're not the ones who offered you your life for this. They're the ones who took away your options." _Yours...mine...Erik's, even..._

_He thinks it's only Genom that's guilty? Too much he doesn't know..._

"What happened? Not what was reported, Shaine. What happened to _you_?"

"I did what I had to."

"And what was the effect?"

"I had some part in the success of the mission, although I would not claim a major part in that. I'm alive...

"And Genom doesn't have Amster. --Do you go through this with all of your new recruits?"

"These things haven't often happened to new recruits. In fact, only a few times..."

"I don't give pity and I don't accept it." She laughed easily. "Kind of like Canadian change on this side of the border..."

"It's not pity. It's honest concern that you're too damned stubborn to admit that something could have hurt you."

"If you knew me, I might be able to believe that."

He grinned. "You may have something there...

I know a lot about you Shaine, more than any one person should know."

She stared at him, perfectly calm. "Do you."

"I do. I don't just randomly choose people...although the system is so complex that it seems like it. I knew about you for a few years, kept an eye on you. At the time, your name came from...a friend. Someone who could make the cut, but was...too young."

His tone turned more gentle. "I met Evon once..."

Her eyes grew huge before she could stop the reaction.

"We were working a job...some tech fair. He was there for Genom."

_Yeah, I know the kind...the ones he was always ditching me to go to..._

"I was at the bar, and all I could hear him talking about was you."

_Oh...my..._

"It struck me funny, the way everything was Shaine this and Shaine that... Seemed odd that that name kept coming up. I went and sat next to him, just to find out who he was talking about. 

"We ended up talking the better part of the night away. He thanked me after we saw what time it was...

"That was the last time I saw him. I wish I could say he said to look after you, but he didn't. He thought too much of you to do something like that.

"I know _of_ you...can I ever know you?"

_Ohhhh..._ The blue of her eyes shimmered, but her face still held firm.

"If you need to talk, I'll be in my office." He began to walk out, then turned back. "You're not alone. If you need us, we are here for you."

Morrigan fluttered in as he left, but Shaine did not notice. Picking up her purse, she got out her Miyako. It was unloaded...as it always had been.

Finding a clip, she slid it in. _Well...I guess I was always looking for a sign, wasn't I? And now I have it._

"Caw, caw!" Morrigan hopped up onto the bed and cocked her head at Shaine. "Caaaw?"

Shaine just stared back.

Morrigan hopped over, rubbing her feathered head against Shaine's arm. "Caw?"

Shaine rubbed her head back gently, then held out a hand. Morrigan jumped up, her talons lightly holding on.

Shaine lifted her hand and looked at the bird. Its black eyes reflected the room's scant light.

Raven in hand, she walked back to the low table under the window.

///

"Man...the slagger...gave us half of what the ring was worth!"

"I told you not to kill her. We could have sold the ring and held her for more money..."

Harris shook his head as the cyberpunks passed. This part of town had been mostly overlooked during the reconstruction, and the pair of thugs were a prime example of the scum that had failed to float to the top.

Cloaked, he walked to the entrance of the shop which the cyberpunks had just left. A heavyset man came to the door, wearing some sort of thick goggles; a cable ran from the goggles to his waist. He closed some heavy gates just behind the door and appeared to be locking it up for the night.

The windows were all barred, and the back door locked, but Harris easily sliced through the lock with his laser sword and the steel door swung open.

The back room was littered with junk. Even with the heads-up display, he couldn't make out all of the individual items. Harris waited for a while, hoping the man would simply come to him, but the store owner was taking his sweet time.

After a while, Harris walked into the main room of the store, where the store owner sat, with goggles on, kissing a C-class Boomer. The goggles were linked into the Boomer, and he was grunting and groaning. Harris shuddered. It was set up to be an overgrown video game...he'd seen the same thing a few times before.

Several minutes later the man stopped, then reached for a box on the table. 

_Time to play. _"Here, piggy, piggy..."

His head jerked up. Reaching for the box quickly, he began to fumble with it. Harris smiled and engaged his sniper rifle, shooting the store owner in the hand. The box fell, covered in blood, and the Boomer let out a groan in a Betty Boop voice.

"Squeal, piggy!"

"Geeza H..." He turned and looked around, stumbling over the Boomer. 

Still cloaked, Harris stepped up to him and grabbed him by the back of the neck.

"I...I got friends... I got powerful friends... Whoever, whatever you are...you let me go and they'll let you live!"

Harris carried him to the back room, then outside the building. He flew up to the roof of a nearby building, throwing the man down onto it. According to his sensors, the "pig" had soiled himself.

He chuckled softly. "Your friends can't help you now." The store owner was trying to get up and to the edge of the roof; Harris walked over and knocked him back.

"Hey...you know, I got money...you like money?"

"Nope."

"Jewels? You like dem?"

Harris disengaged his cloak. 

"Stocks...cars?"

"Nope." He shook his head. "I like to make pigs like you squeal. See, you're about to get an old school lesson on why it's bad to kill people..."

"Kill? Me, no, I've never killed..."

Harris took him by the neck, holding him firmly but gently. "All right. This is how it works."

"Erk."

"Blink once for yes, twice for no. Do you want to live?"

His left eye blinked...and then his right.

Harris smiled. "Good. You're at least smart...

"Smartass..." He squeezed harder. The other man's lips moved, though no sound could emerge...it looked something like _no I don't want to die_. Harris let up a little bit. "All right then, then is what I want to know. Who's your contact with Luna?"

"I...um...do odd jobs for him," he gasped. Harris let go.

"I know what you do for him. I asked who your contact is."

"Tony Visiglio."

"I hope that's true," Harris aimed the sniper rifle at his head. "Because you're going to take me to him."

"See, he's related to me, and he's married to Luna's wife's sister..."

"I see."

"What? Take you to Tony?"

"How far is it to his place?"

"Oh, I can't..."

"Why?"

"Kill me. Kill me now; can't be worse than Tony or Luna..."

"No, don't worry. You're not going to die yet. And I promise I won't let any of the Luna family kill you either. Just take me to him."

"Yeah, but they cut people up, and not so that you die right away...they keep you _alive_..."

"This is your chance to not have them kill you. I promise they won't...or if not, I kill you right now. And if I do it it'll be far worse than what they would do to you."

"Okay, he got a place on the Gold Coast."

"How far from here?"

"Oh, geeza, four miles? Five?"

Harris took hold of him again and launched into the air. "Show me."

"Hooolyy..." He tried to look down, but kept having to jerk his head away from the sight of the city passing beneath them. Eventually he darted his eyes down again, pointed hastily, and looked away again. Harris descended to ground level, recloaking. "Here it...is..."

There were at least twenty people on the property: ten inside, five outside, and five in the basement. Seven cars sat in the driveway, showing very little sign of use. They'd been there for an hour or two, at least.

Only two guards were in range, Harris shot both immediately. Checking his scanners again, he moved to the far side of the house dragging the shopkeeper behind him. "Say a word and you die now."

There were three guards by the pool. One drew his gun and his radio, seeing the shopkeeper; Harris fired before the guard could use either. Taking the radio, he started checking for broadcasts mentioning his presence.

"That was one of Lou's boys! He must've been here to kill Tony...?"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, he's the other big guy in the city."

"Well, Tony just got a freebie.

"All right, here's the plan: this is going to be simple...you're my bait."

"B-bah-bait?"

"Yeah."

"Uh..."

Harris grabbed him by the back of the collar.

"Okay...what do you want?"

"Well, it's like this: we're going in." Harris started walking forward; another man came racing toward them, gun drawn. 

Harris fired quickly, and the guard went down. "Simple enough...we're going in...me behind you. You scream something about the mob boss you referred to coming to get Tony. Think that will keep you alive?"

"Um, no...not really..."

"All right. Another idea..."

"Damned if I freakin' do, damned if I don't..."

Harris hit him on the side of the head, just hard enough to knock him out. He slumped over, falling mercifully quiet. "Night-night..."

The door was unlocked. His weapons powered up, Harris peered inside, keeping one eye on his scanners. There was no one in the large kitchen which he had walked into, but the floor was reading massive heat signs.

The basement. Five people there. He dragged the insensate shopkeeper through the kitchen. A quiet bell sounded, and a door in the wall opened. There were a large silver dome and tray inside; he glanced at it warily.

No one coming from there. His best bet was a large room down the hall, where most of the heat signals on the main level of the house seemed to be coming from. Carefully avoiding a waiter, he carried his "bait" down the hall toward the room.

Inside were seven people gathered around a large table. Three women, four men, all in expensive clothing. One man sat at the head of the table, presumably Tony. He turned away, picking up the shopkeeper...who was out cold. No chance of waking him. Figured. Slinging him over his shoulder, Harris walked boldly into the dining room.

With a loud slam he dropped the body onto the floor, stepping to his left with both lasers up and ready.

The women screamed, and a short man in a dark suit pulled out a gun. Harris aimed for the short man's knees and fired his lasers. He then uncloaked and aimed at Tony with his sniper rifle. "All right, nobody move."

The short man fired his gun on the way down, hitting the shopkeeper and sending blood spraying out from his unconscious body.

"Who the fuck are you!" Tony demanded.

"Shut up." Harris fired several more shots into the short man's body. "Anyone do anything, Tony is dead - and at this range I won't miss."

A woman drenched in a sea of gold and gemstones hurled herself toward Tony. Had to be his mother or his wife. "No! Take me instead!"

Harris ignored her. "Now, then, Tony. You are in direct affiliation with Luna if I am not correct...so this meeting will be brief."

"Yeah, I know Luna. What the fuck do you want from me?"

Harris fired several shots into the shopkeeper's body, keeping the sniper rifle trained on Tony.

"What can I tell you about Luna? He's into shipping...export and trade..."

Harris sent an emergency signal to the ADP. _Might as well find a use for that glorified cleanup crew..._ "Your Luna has caught the eye of my employer. We know what he is doing...what you are doing...what fat boy here was doing..."

"That piece of crap? He's doing nothing. Can't even fight his way out of a paper bag."

"Well, don't worry. Most of your men outside are just as weak."

"I see."

"Understand this: we are not the law--"

"Okay! Let my wife go, and I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"No. She stays. They all do."

"What do you want with them?"

"You'll tell me anyways or I kill you, then her. Understand?"

"Luna...the bastard's out of town!"

"Of course."

"He went back to Italy for a month to see his mother."

"Go on."

"He won't be back til next week; that's all I know."

"No...you know more than that." He aimed both of his lasers at the guests. "Come out with it all or each one goes, one by one."

"What do you want to know? Pick a subject."

"I want to know Luna's organization inside and out." Listening to the ADP radio frequency, he heard a report that they were about four blocks away, with another two squads closing in. "What are the names of his other subordinates?"

"Hell, for that you gonna be doing this a lot. He spread it out among many...I'm just one..."

"I want names."

"Names. I got names, but I want to walk out of this alive. Me, my wife, and my kids."

"You'll live if you're not stupid. Now I want some names."

"Oh, there's another thing: you'd have to kill everyone here..."

"The one I was contracted for is on the floor next ot me. The rest of you are freebies."

"I see..." He turned to the guests. "Sorry. Just business." Then he reached into his coat and pulled out a small white book, which he handed to Harris. The two other men both swore.

"Well, then."

"Well, then!" Tony smiled cockily. "I will see you later." He extended a hand to his wife.

"Yes..." Still aiming at them, Harris backed out the door, cloaking. "A pleasure doing business."

"Yes, a pleasure." Harris could hear the ADP kicking down a door. Sidestepping them as quickly as possible, he exited the house.

_Well, then. Back to fat boy's place for more information..._

An alarm on his suit beeped: _Return to base as soon as possible._

_Or maybe not..._

///

Shaine rushed down the hall to the hangar. _Damn it, damn it, damn it...just had to have another of these freak shows happen now..._ Pulled out of meditation by Crimson, all she knew was that one of a stolen shipment of new ADP battle suits had been found at O'Hare with weapons armed.

It was being piloted by a police Boomer.

The ADP didn't take it seriously, but the Ravens certainly did. And Shaine did. She could hear the turbine fans of the Wing revving as she finally reached the hangar.

Inside the plane, Harris and Mitch sat with Jinks, already prepared for the mission. 

_All right...where in hell is Miss Suicide now? Communing with her little water spirits? _Harris wondered if she knew she'd said all of that bullshit out loud.

Just then she wandered in, helmet underneath one arm, and an odd expression on her face. Well, not much odder than usual. The Wing took off and flew once around the city, finding no trace of the K-suit and no reports of firefights.

"I'm getting some odd readings!" Shaine gasped. "It looks like the battle suit.

"It's climbing the Sears Tower!"

"What?" Jinks exclaimed.

"Yeah..."

"So we've found our target," Harris said. "Let's go."

"Just like that sim..." Shaine muttered thoughtfully.

"You got to be kidding!" Rai called from the cockpit.

"I'm not in the mood to joke, trust me."

"Great, the Sears Tower all over again..."

"What the...?" Mitch looked puzzled.

The expression on Shaine's face was determined, as if she'd just found a new purpose in life. She put on her helmet and cloaked as the others already had.

Harris rose slowly. "Shall we get moving?"

"Can we just for once let the ADP have this one? Shit, I'm flying, ain't I?"

"We have had some trouble at the tower before," Jinks began.

"Some trouble, she says. Fuck you, Jinks!"

Harris just shook his head.

They could see the Tower from inside the wing. Jinks nodded. "Okay, kids. Get out."

///

The view from the Tower was breathtaking. They could see everything for miles.

The K-suit was crawling over the edge of the roof. It was a K-13, one of the newest models. The three nestlings aimed, but held their fire.

"Its weapons are armed," Shaine warned. "Be careful." Then she fired her lasers, and Mitch did the same a moment later. Both were stopped by some sort of field around the suit. Shaine swore and stopped firing.

Harris watched impassively, deciding to switch from his sniper rifle to some heavier weaponry.

_Well,_ Shaine thought, _How about the laser sword? It should have some fun with that. _But she was reluctant to rush the suit; who knew what that energy field might do to her?

Harris aimed with his rail gun, firing a single shot toward the suit's legs. The rail burst flew through the suit's shielding and embedded itself in the leg. He smiled viciously and prepared to fire again, but then heard Shaine ask, "Did Jinks ever fix that thing?"

_Oh, shit..._ He turned his head just in time to see Mitch fire the microwave jammer. There was a blast of energy, and all of them were hit. 

Jinks took a ribbon of of energy point blank and went down without a struggle; the rest were each hit at least once but managed to wobble a bit as they fought to retain control. The suits decloaked.

_Shit...figures...stupid..._ Harris immediately began trying to regain control of the suit.

Mitch checked his systems and found that they were completely fried. _Damn!_

Shaine simply lay there. _It's all right. But I wish Crimson could have told me that a little earlier..._ She bit her lip and fought back tears. Then she saw in the heads-up display that she had power and communications, but no weapons. No way to get out of this one.

She stood, shakily, as Harris began bringing his suit back on line. He powered up the rail gun again, then got to his feet and looked at Mitch.

_This isn't as bad as you thought, girl...you can still run! _"Hah," she gasped faintly.

"Hey...looks like we got it. It's even more well done than my dad's schnitzel!" She grimaced. "Blehhh..."

"You sure it's done?"

"Yup. Nuked til it's grey, cooked til it's burnt...with ketchup on top." Her tone turned cheerful. "It's times like these I miss Mom's cooking."

Harris walked over to Mitch, looking at him. He shook his head and walked away.

A strong wind began to blow from the direction of the lake, and the K-suit fell over the edge of the building. "Oh, sure! Leave me to pick up Labcoat!" Shaine went over to Mitch.

"Naw, just leave him. He's smart."

"And Jinks?"

"Jinks?"

"Wow, Harris...never thought I'd hear you say that! --Yeah, she hasn't gotten up yet. Hey, Jinks, are you all right?"

There was no response.

Harris walked over to Jinks; she still hadn't moved at all.

"Aw, shit... Well, I've got a hearbeat at least...a little heat..."

He picked her up. "Okay, let's get her back to the base."

"I don't like the looks of this, though." Shaine picked up Mitch, who was beginning to move his hands and feet a bit, and activated her comm. "Rai, we need pickup now. Jinks is down."

The Ravens' Wing flew silently toward the tower, and dropped its door. Shaine and Harris climbed in, Shaine setting Mitch down into a seat, and Harris lying Jinks down on the floor.

The Wing's door closed and it began the long flight back to base.


	3. Bar Room, Fight

Bar Room,

Bar Room, Fight  
_By Harris, Mitch, Shaine, and Shatterclaw. Individual rating: PG-13._

Mitch sat at the bar, with a Guiness being the sole other occupant of his universe. _I still can't believe it...happened so fast..._

"Hey, you Mitch Wolfstone, right?" The tall, powerfully built man wore an ADP uniform.

"Yeah." 

"We've never met, but my name is Albert J. Oliver. Mind if I buy you a drink?"

"Sure, pull up a stool."

"What'll ya be having?" Argus asked.

"I'll take whatever he's having." He sat down. Argus walked off to pour another Guiness.

"Rough night?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

"Did you hear about that stolen battle suit?"

"No, what happened?"

"I heard there was an explosion at the top of the Sears Tower. Some police Boomer took off with a battle suit, got hit by lightning up there."

_Lightning, huh?_ Mitch took a sip of the beer.

"And if you can't believe that, some of the guys think it was those phantom bird things. They come up with the craziest things..."

"You don't say? Maybe they saw Santa Claus, too."

Oliver laughed, then took a long drink. "Oh, that's a good one!"

"Where are you from?"

"Chicago. Well, Niles, but I spent more time in Chi-town than anywhere. So where are you from?"

"Lived in this city all my life. But my parents are from Ireland. You?"

"Italian and German."

"Both?"

"Yeah, mother was German, father Italian. Ahhh, did they go at it!"

"I see."

"Anyway...I wanted to ask you..."

"Yeah?"

"You have one of those newfangled Boomer partners, right?"

"Buddy, I'm not in the mood to talk shop."

"Okay...hey, I'm sorry... Just wanted to know if it ever...you know, acted crazy. That's all. Tell you what, um...I'll get back to you." He walked away.

Just then, the door opened. 

"Hey, barkeep! Got any Weisse?"

"Aye!" Argus replied. 

The young woman, wearing an "Empire Strikes Back" t-shirt and one of the plastic overcoats that were beginning to be popular with the younger engineering types (just like Zhora's in "Blade Runner"), grinned. "Sweeet."

Walking over to the bar, Shaine accepted the bottle from Argus and took a good long pull off of it. "Hey. Mind if I sit here?"

"Sure."

She took another hit off of the bottle and sat down.

"You be wanting a glass, lass?"

Shaine just laughed a little and chugged some more.

"Argus, another Guiness." She looked at him, trying to figure out how many he'd had so far. _Not too many. The barkeep looks like the type to say no when he ought to._

"She's got to be a friend of yours, Mitch!"

"Now, usually I'm not one to look for the secrets of the universe at the bottom of a bottle...but after something like _that_..." She shook her head.

"Maybe you can talk to him, lass. I haven't seen him like this since that one rookie got killed by a rogue Boomer."

"Yeah, will do!" She lifted the bottle in a salute as Argus left. Then she lowered her voice. "I'm not one for pep talks, either. Now, you can beat yourself up over what happened...or you can think about this. I was about to go after that thing with my sword when you did that. You wanna guess what the shields would have done if I'd hit it with one of those things?"

"I can't believe it... I killed Jinks...and destroyed the team."

"Crim's got a med crew looking at Jinks. She's stable...toasted a little...but the suit took most of it."

"I wonder if Genom has any openings."

"Hold it."

"What?"

"Don't even start with that."

Mitch took another sip of his Guiness, and Shaine set her bottle down on the counter.

Mitch looked at her. "What do you want me to say, Shaine?"

"You're going to have to do a lot better than that before they'll take you," she said darkly.

She stood. "Fine. I was going to try...but you can just come back whenever you're done with your pity party."

"What? Come back!"

She glared at him.

"I'm sorry. It's just..."

_Crim, you owe me _big_ for this one. I'm no motivational speaker and I'm no shrink. What the hell am I supposed to say to him?_

"You know, Crim sent _me_. Not Harris with a gun."

"I've been kicking myself ever since we got back... My father warned me about his temper. I thought I could rise above that, if I worked at it..." He took another sip of the beer.

"If we were our parents, Genom would have sucked me dry by now." She grabbed the beer bottle and started chugging like she _really_ meant it.

"Yeah."

Shaine sat back down.

"You know, I can take anything the world dishes out...but..."

"Watching others take it because of you...hurts. I know."

"Yeah." He laughed. "My parents live in a perfect world; they never see what I see... That's why I became a cop. I had it in my mind to stop killing...stealing...pain... Crazy, huh?"

"Nah. Can't stop it all, maybe...but if you can find one small place and hang on to it...keep it safe... That's worth it."

"The Ravens?"

"Yeah, sure. Or my old hacking buddies...or whatever."

He laughed.

"Your own personal corner of the universe..." Her face took on a distant expression, as if she were no longer looking at the bar, or that room.

"We all have to have one. This is mine."

Shaine nodded.

Mitch finished his beer and set the glass down. "Is anyone ticked at me at home?"

"No."

"How is Jinks?" he asked, just as she continued, "Well, Harris, but he..."

Mitch laughed.

"He's Harris," Shaine finished feebly. "Jinks is going to be okay, but Crim says he wants that microwave zapper of yours, first thing when you get back.

Mitch looked down and laughed again. "Sure." Then he looked at her. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." She finished the beer in one gulp and set the empty glass down on the counter.

"Argus, put that on my tab."

"Thanks."

They walked outside. "I'll see you tomorrow, Shaine. That's my apartment there." He pointed to a brownstone building on the other side of the street.

"All right, cool." She waved lazily.

"And thanks."

Mitch crossed the street, and made his way up the stairs. He opened the door, then walked to the fishbowl which rested on a table in the living room. Inside was his goldfish, Spike. Dropping a bit of fish food into the bowl, he smiled and said, "Spike, it's good to have friends."

///

Shaine waited for him to start walking, then headed off toward her apartment on foot. _I want to enjoy this evening...and I shouldn't drive with that beer in me, anyway. I'll get the car back later._

When she got to the apartment, the front door was open. "Huh?" She peered inside.

From what Shaine could see, the place was a mess. She put one hand in her purse, setting it on her gun. Empty beer cans and food wrappers were strewn across the floor, along with clothing...a man's clothing.

She heard movement from inside. Drawing her gun, she glanced around nervously and picked up a t-shirt lying on the floor. It looked familiar..somewhat... She frowned, holding it between thumb and forefinger. "Ugh..."

There was another noise, this one definitely coming from the bedroom. She let the shirt fall, then walked slowly toward the back of the apartment, almost knocking over an empty bottle.

"Damn!" she choked out in a whisper.

The barrel of a sawed-off shotgun peered out from the doorway. Shaine looked up at it in shock, bringing her gun up quickly.

"Hold it!" She switched to German, thinking she just might know who it was... "Drop the weapon!"

The barrel started to waver even more than it had before, and the person at the other end let out a high-pitched girl scream. _Just like Mulder in that one Jose Chung episode...damn it, there's only one man alive who can make that sound..._

"Smith, I am going to kick your _ass!_"

"Valentine" Michael Smith, sans gun, stepped out of the bedroom reluctantly. "Hi..."

///

"Um, hi..." he repeated feebly. "Where have you _been?_"

"What the fuck are you _doing_ here?"

"Looking for you?"

She swore explosively. "Where have I been! Fuck!"

"Well?" He smiled ruefully. "And who's been fucking you this time?"

Shaine gritted her teeth. _Damn it...better stall, change the subject... _"Yes, dear, I apologize for not telling you I was _running for my life_...can you ever forgive me?"

_Oh, wait. I don't have anything to hide yet, do I? Heh._

"No, I will not forgive you. You could have waited - we could have run together..."

Shaine shook her head.

"But nooo, had to go and find a nice deep hole... --Which, by the way, has way too many men in it..."

"Oh?"

"Some guy came in here...thought he was going to kill me..."

"Harris?" _I am going to kill him, I swear..._

"You got another boyfriend - Harris? Who's Harris?"

"That crazy bastard! I am going to--" She stopped. "Just a nutcase I work with. Damned idiot..."

"Well that's another thing...he said you asked him to look over the place, make sure the plants were watered or some shit like that..."

"What?"

"Yeah, some guy in a leather trench. Big guy, dark skin...you _really _need to get some better taste..."

"Oh...that's Crimson."

"Packed a lot of heat..."

"Yeah," she whispered, turning pale.

"I thought he was a Genom hit man..."

"No... He saved me from them."

"Came in here like some freak Darth Vader wannabe... He tried to kill me, but I got the jump on him. Had him tied up and begging for his life.."

Shaine burst into laughter.

"What?"

"Ohhhhh..."

"What's so funny?"

She was laughing too hard to talk. "You - you...oh... That's a good one!" 

"Oh, and _then_..."

"Yeah?" She looked up at him, grinning. 

"To top that off, some psycho..._thing_...came after me..."

"What kind of thing?"

"Man, what do you people put in the water around here?"

"What kind of _thing_ are you talking about, Val?"

"It - it flew, and had long claws and fangs...big fucker...and black...it told me it was his city..."

She shook her head. "Are you sure you weren't drunk?"

"Drunk? Fuck no, I was sober..."

"Suure..."

"Damn stone cold sober..."

"You know you're going to have to lay off it if you want to stay here." _Not like last time: me paying all the bills and him too drunk to--_

"I _swear_!" Val pleaded. "The thing smashed all of my beer...and my cigs..."

"You're _smoking?_"

"Then it swooped down and picked me up...was flying..."

"You can just find someplace else, then!"

"Well, shit, I had Genom on my ass...but I didn't get any; I just bought them...never even got one... Does that matter? This thing almost _killed me!_ This fucker had huge fangs, and a freakin' flock of birds with it..."

She shook her head again and walked past him into the bedroom.

"And wings, maybe fifty feet across!"

"Pack your bags, Val. I'm not keeping you here if you're high or some shit like that."

"_I am not freakin' high!_" He stopped, and looked at her mournfully. "I swear, Scully...I am so freakin' clean, I scare myself...

"This is real."

She looked back at him. "Is it?"

"Yeah, here, look!" He pulled up his shirt, revealing red marks that might have been made by a hardsuit.

"Look, I don't want to hear about these bird things. And neither does anyone else in this city. They don't exist."

"See? there were huge claw marks there!"

She shook her head. "Just don't talk about it again, okay?"

"Okay...can I still crash here?"

Shaine sighed. "Yeah..._for now_."

"'Cause..well, I..."

"Yeah, I know." _Lazy, horny, and broke as usual._

"Thank you!" He threw his arms around her, picking her up and spinning her around the room.

"Urgl..." Shaine commented insightfully.

"Look, why don't you go wash up and I'll get this mess straightened out."

"Yeah. Sure."

"Then maybe we can go get some food..."

"All right." _You can boil him in oil later, girl. For now...you need some rest._

She pulled her shirt off and stepped into the bathroom. The tub looked clean, a few newspapers were scattered around...

...And there was a rat sitting on the toilet seat, staring at her.

"_Val!_" She dropped the shirt and ran back into the bedroom.

"What? What's wrong?"

Only a tiny peep of sound escaped her lips. He walked into the bathroom, then ran out screaming and clutching at his hand.

"What the hell are you doing screaming? You're the one who let it in!"

"I did not! The little fucker bit me! Probably has AIDS, or rabies, or something... BDS, Hags Disease..."

Shaine grabbed her purse and a new shirt. "I'm leaving."

"What?"

"You heard me!" She put the shirt on, and started shrugging on her jacket.

"Wait, lemme get my coat..."

"Oh, no. I said _I _am leaving, not _we_."

"What... _What?!_"

She walked out of the room.

"You going to leave me here with Ratzilla? That fucker's huge!"

"Call me when you get some balls, Smith," she replied over one shoulder.

"Aww, great..." The rat scurried out of the bathroom, sending Smith running out the door after her.

///

Crimson was outside, leaning on his Barracuda.

"Why didn't you tell me!"

"I see I forgot to mention something to you..."

Her jaw dropped a little, then wavered as if she were trying to say something. He looked out from underneath his sunglasses. "Business...it kind of slipped my mind. I'm sorry."

"You're _sorry?_"

He smiled as Val went running down the street. "Yes. 

"I should have kicked him out first, then beaten him..."

"Damn straight!"

"He said he was a friend. I assumed he might have made some sort of deal with you."

"I don't make that kind of deals, Crim." _Or if I do, _you'll_ never hear about it._

"Yes, well...I can be wrong once. I'll pay for your place to be cleaned."

"I think I'm gonna have to stay at the base for now... Tell you what, I'd better just find a new place. He'll come back here."

"If you like, or we can put you up at the manor." He opened the door for her.

She shrugged and got in. "For now, maybe...but I need some space..."

"I can relate to that. So what was...Mulder, was it? What was he running from?"

"A rat."

"A rat?"

"Yeah."

"A rat? That's it?"

"Yeah."

He grinned. "Ratboy runs from rat...news at eleven..."

She didn't smile, just stared out the window as the car began to move.

///

Forty-five minutes later they arrived at the Gold Coast. It had always been a part of rich Chicago, but it was far more exclusive in 2040 than it had been in previous decades. Crimson drove up to the front gate of one of the large homes and pulled out an ID card. He swiped it through a reader at the side of the gate, then drove through. "Home sweet home."

The front of the mansion had a wraparound deck and glass entryway. Crimson pulled the Cuda up near the doors. "Here we go." He got out, and walked around to the passenger side, holding the door open for Shaine.

A woman met them at the door. Crimson hugged her, kissed her, then said, "Rika, this is Shaine. She's, um...having housing trouble. Mind if she has the guest room for a few days?"

Rika smiled. "Of course not."

Shaine stared at the couple with an absolutely impassive expression.

"Please, come right on in."

Rika led Shaine to a large room. "Dinner will be ready soon."

"All right. I think I might just go to bed now."

"Well, there's a bathroom over there, it's private, and there are clean towels there as well."

"Thanks."

"The kitchen is fully stocked, if you get hungry later." She smiled and left, closing the door behind her.

_Damn it. Why does this always have to happen when I drink?_ She stumbled into bed with her clothes on.

///

Some time later, Shaine slowly woke from a dream of Ratboy torture. _What was that...oh, the door._ "Whoizzit?" _Hey, at least I'm not hung over...that's good..._

"Crimson."

She propped herself up on her elbows. "Yeah, come in."

He opened the door. "You sleep well?"

"Uhnnmm..." Shaine sat up the rest of the way and shrugged noncommitally.

Crimson had a pile of clothing in his hands, which he set down on the bed. Her moonstone hair clip, appropriated by Val, sat on top of the pile.

"It's twelve-thirty."

"In the afternoon? Man..."

"I had your place cleaned up...and around... Mr. ...whatever his name was."

"Yeah."

"He now has a nice hole of his own..." Crimson's smile was vaguely disturbing.

Shaine looked back at him, nervous.

"Oh, he's alive, he just has a new roommate..."

"Oh..."

Crimson held his hands apart. "He's about this big, likes cheese, and is free from diseases."

Shaine cringed slightly. "I-- I just need my things from the old apartment...they can go in my room at the base for now."

"Sure, that can be done."

Crimson let the following silence hang.

"A-all right. Thank you."

"You're welcome. ...How do you know him?"

"We used to hack together."

"Ah."

"He was learning some stuff from Mycroft, I think."

"I think Genom wants him dead."

"Yeah... They got Tsen already..." She shivered.

"I did some checking, and he's not on their favorites list."

"And I haven't heard from Myke or the Prof. ...Or Crash..."

"I'll see what I can do. You're not on the list, are you?"

"I don't know. My major alias was never connected with me...so far as I know."

"Don't worry. We'll do what we can to keep them safe.

"On another note, he _does_ have some use... He spread a rumor about a monster in the city. While it does sound like he was high, it will draw fire away from..._'Them.'_ "

"He's stupid. They're going to catch him the second he opens his mouth again."

"Most likely. He's too foolhardy to be trusted; otherwise he might have had a job long ago."

"Well, I can tell you he's no good as a hacker...but you probably knew that already."

"I know. He didn't even get the test open."

She looked up at him curiously.

"You're the best, but not the only one. To maintain the business, I have to keep looking for new blood. The fight may end in my lifetime, but it may not. Someone has to keep an eye out for replacements. I had to look for at least two years before I found you...at the time, I thought Genom might have won...

"So, do I look like I have six inch fangs?"

"No..."

"Don't know where he got that from."

"Pulled it out of his ass, along with the rope he used to hogtie you..."

"Hogtie me?"

"Yeah."

"Excuse me..._hogtie me?_"

"You tried to kill him, but he beat you up. Don't you remember?"

He laughed. "More like I scared the crap out of him."

"Yeah, he was about ready to beat me I was laughing so hard at that."

"Then _I_ tied _him_ up... Well, we'll see about that. I'll let you get dressed, and Rika would like you to come down. But it's up to you."

"All right."

"Good."

Ten minutes later, she wandered the halls searching for the kitchen. Finally she came to a large room with an equally immense table, which Crimson was setting. He looked up at her. "Nice room."

"Yeah."

He looked around the room. "I don't think I've ever eaten in here.

"Lunch is in the kitchen. Follow me."

He took her on a short tour of the house. "We use it more for Starbright, for fancy meetings, but it's pretty big." She trailed silently behind him until they reached a massive kitchen. In a bay window sat a small table, where a teenage girl sat reading the newspaper.

Rika appeared, bringing a few plates of food to the table. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you." _Morning? Is she just trying to be polite...?_

She smiled and walked away.

"Hey, Dad, could I take the car tonight?"

Shaine looked again at the young woman reading the paper. _No, that _can't _be...this isn't..._

_Well, why not?_

"Aria, this is Shaine."

She looked up from the paper. "Hi."

"Um, hi..." _She looks a lot like Rika..._

Rika soon came back to the table, and grace was said. Shaine bowed her head and tried not to look too out of place. Lunch was salad and cold cuts.

"So, how is your job at Starbright?" Rika asked.

"It's all right...I guess... There's a lot of sh - stuff with hardware; I'm not used to that."

Rika smiled, a little too knowingly. "Yes, they are moving in that direction." She pointed at Crimson. "Has he been too hard on you?"

"No..."

"Dad, hard? She's lucky he doesn't invite her to commune with us here! ...Not that that would be a problem..." Aria looked at her, then back to the newspaper. "At least she's not like Cousin Anni. Did you hear she dyed her hair again?"

"What color this time?"

"Every color, looks like."

"You've met her?" Aria squeaked.

"Yeah. She, uh...she's nice..."

"You let Brat get to know her first?! She'll be corrupted in no time!" Aria glared at her father, then looked at Shaine again. "I am soooo sorry. Had I known my dad did that to you, I would have called the police! I mean really, Dad, how can you be so mean?"

"Two words: no car."

"Um, did I say mean? I meant, well, what did she do wrong to be punished like that?"

"Her house was...infested. And she needed a place to stay. I figured, what better way to prepare her for her life in Hell than to meet you?"

Aria laughed. "See, I told you... You wound me to the quick! And for such a wound, fatal as it is, there is only one cure!"

She stood, hands clasped to her chest. "Only one lifesaving cure..."

"Here it comes," Crimson muttered. He turned to Shaine. "Care to go to the mall?"

"With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate of life at once untie... --Why, sure!"

"Yeah, the holy of holies...the mall!"

"Sure why not."

Rika clapped. "Very good, both of you! I know I have an Oscar around here somewhere..."

"Poor venomous fool, be angry, and dispatch... Thank you."

Crimson jerked his thumb toward the door. "Go get your stuff." Aria bounded out of the room.

He grinned. "Sorry; she's a little...well, too much like..."

"Him," Rika finished.

"Yeah."

"Yeah, thanks. ...Tell you what, meet me out front in five. I have to go raid the safe."

"All right."

He kissed Rika, and left through a door Shaine hadn't seen before.

///

Spring had taken hold, and the temperature was in the sixties. The skies were perfectly clear. Aria sat in the backseat of the Cuda, wearing sunglasses, a brightly colored top, and cutoff shorts. "Come on in; the water's fine!"

Shaine slid in back next to her; she hadn't bothered with anything beyond her normal attire, except for the moonstone clip which Crimson had returned to her.

"So, what music do you like?"

Shaine shrugged. "Anything."

"Okay." Aria reached over the seat and turned on the radio as Shaine spotted Crimson walking toward the car. 

"Seat belts," he prompted.

"Aw, Dad, you drive too slow to need seat belts!"

"I guess you don't want to go that badly..."

"All right, all right!"

///

"Hey, Dad, did you tell her about the time you saw the Bears play here? Or about the time you saw those bird things?"

In the rearview, Shaine could see Crimson's eyes go hard, then soften. "Bird things? You gotta be kidding. You don't actually believe in those, do you?"

"No, dear, why do you relate it?"

"Yeah Dad was still with the ADP, or so he says, and he was hunting down a rogue something-or-other... So then these five black monsters came out of the sky and took out the rogue and then they came after him. But he ran and got into his trusted Cuda and outran them and it was right here in this very spot...alias 8-K..." She pointed to the parking lot sign.

"She really doesn't want money."

"Well, if you're asking, I could be persuaded to partake in a bribe or two..."

"We'll see."

Aria hopped out, then opened the door for her father. Shaine followed them.

"Ohhh! Hey, Dad! There's Jean and Rick. Can I go say hi?"

"Go ahead. Meet us at the movies?"

"Okay." Aria bounded off.

Crimson smiled grimly. "She's something else. Sorry for dragging you out here."

"Nah. Got nothing better to do, and I'd rather not be alone."

He chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure I could dig up some work...anything you need?"

"Uh...no, I don't think so."

"Me neither. Never had much use for this place, though it is great for cloaked paintball. See, we have a passcode, and sneak in at night... The weapons can fire paintballs which fade after a few hours, then turn to dust. Of course we also use a laser on low settings... When you get to the top of the rollercoaster, you can hit just about anything in the place."

He looked around. "Mind if we stop in the comic shop?"

"Sure."

Shaine's eyes grew wide as she saw the store; it was a two-level shop that somewhat resembled the Batcave. Life size models of comic characters were strewn throughout the store; she smiled at the four foot tall Cutter holding the latest ElfQuest movie. Standing next to it were a few teenagers reading one of the graphic novels; they were dressed in black leather and one girl wore a full ballroom dress with full-length gloves. One side of her head was shaved and a tall, lanky boy was reading to her.

"Yes. I only appear human, Tamia. This is what I truly am. A sky-spirit. A forest-demon. A myth. A legend. An elf. Your kind has always used these words - or ones like them - to describe us... / B-but... / Hush...I'm exactly the same person I was a moment ago when you thought I was human..."

Shaine glanced at them, then went back to picking out issues. It'd take her a while to rebuild her collection, and she didn't want to drag them around the mall unless she couldn't live without them. Then she wandered toward the Trek section, where she gazed longingly at the life-size Data replica.

A split second later, she realized that the boy reading the issue of "Jink" had been wearing a Raven-design t-shirt. She turned back and looked at him again. Two others had joined the couple: a very short girl and a very tall boy. They began walking toward the front of the store.

Shaine took her comic books and followed them, hoping to overhear their conversation. The one with the Raven shirt pulled a stack of similar shirts from behind the counter and began showing them off, holding one in the air.

It looked like some sort of bird, airbrushed on a brick background in silver. "Watcher of the Night...Ravens - the Myth is Real" She narrowed her eyes and started sliding through the crows. As she got closer, she heard him name a price. Twenty-five dollars. There were too many in front of her to get close to him, so she paid for the comic books while waiting for the crowd to thin out.

"Yeah, I'll take one of those." She fished in a pocket for some money, came up with several wadded fives and tens.

"Sure, cash or charge?"

"Cash. You guys come here often?"

"Heh, yeah, just ask the guards! What size are you?"

"Small...extra small if you have it. --Sweet, man... Uh, I'm kind of new in town..."

"Hey, Poe, give me a Mav size!"

"Huh?"

"Oh keeper of the lore, alas, only the mistress has one!" That was the other boy, the tall one.

"Okaaayy..."

"So? I'll make her a new one, Poe! Just give me it?"

"Your life, not mine!" The tall one tossed the other boy a shirt as the small girl began attacking him.

"Uhm, I can just come back and get one later, no hurry..."

"Sorry. Here you go."

Shaine held up her hands nervously. "Matter of fact, why don't you just do that? Name's Lore. I expect to be around here a lot. Really, it's all right."

"Um, you sure? I...can have it here byyyy...Tuesday?"

"Yes, that's good." A tiny smile.

"Cool!"

"I'm Lore Mueller." She held out her hand. "And you?"

"Omar, master of the Ravens lore."

"Hi..."

Omar bowed. "At your service, m'lady." Then he looked up. "Um you'll forgive me, but I must be going..."

"Of course," she replied gently, wondering what was happening.

He jumped down and ran into the back as mall rent-a-cops came charging in. Shaine stared at the retreating teens in disbelief.

There was a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Crimson holding a bag of books. "What's going on?"

"There were some kids selling 'Raven' -shirts. I arranged to meet one back here on Tuesday, see what's going on..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Anyone we know?"

"He said his name is Omar."

"Omar?"

"Yeah."

"Not Miss Cyberpunk? Never heard of him.."

"He mentioned two others named Poe and Mav..."

"Let's see the shirt."

"I didn't get it. I'm supposed to on Tuesday.

"They didn't have my size." She grinned ruefully.

"I see. Wonder if the owner knows anything... We'll have to ask later. But first let's go find someplace quiet to talk."

"All right."

Crimson led the way to the food court. Shaine sat down near the back, and he brought her a drink.

_Coke. Shit._

_Well, I suppose I'll have to drink a little...?_ She smiled crookedly and took the tiniest sip possible. "So...?"

Crimson pulled out a small black box, and tapped a button on it. "Nexus-6?" he said in a low voice.

"What? How do you know about that?"

"It's my job to know. Someday, when you're older, it will be yours."

"Bunny kept that locked up tighter than..." She shook her head.

"Bunny?"

"Uh... Fraulein Kant."

"Bunny."

"That's what we called her..."

He grinned. "What can you tell me?"

"She called the design an impossible dream...to build one to her ideal specifications she'd need technology that won't be available until 2068. At least. It's a combat model capable of passing for human..."

"Really?"

"Perfect eyesight, reflexes, hearing...

"Concealed weapons..."

A dark look passed over Crimson's eyes. "How close has she come?"

"I don't know. The few records I saw...all of them 'broke' under testing. But that was years ago."

"Funny. A rumor has it one 'Kant' will be heading for Chicago soon."

"Oh, gods... She was a hit woman for Genom Munich..."

"I'm sure they didn't have anything to do with it. --The gods, I mean, not Munich. So she's trouble..."

"Yeah, well...you'd better hope they're stronger than Genom. There were rumors she hunted humanoid Boomers for sport."

"How...nice."

"This whole thing was supposed to be some sort of design for her to go track out in the Bavarian Alps. Guess she's still got a grudge over what happened there in the war."

"That would explain a lot. A group went into the Alps, never came back."

She looked up at him.

"What happened in the war?"

"I don't know. She got really pissed whenever anyone talked about it. I know she hates the Eastern Prime Minister..."

"I see. I must mention it to her, then. But the PM doesn't have many friends..."

"I know."

"So why would 'Bunny' come here?"

"Maybe Someone asked her."

"Who would she know..." He looked at her.

Shaine nodded. "Yeah."

"She knows him, doesn't she?"

"Yeah. He worked for her."

"We just can't get a break."

"Yeah," she repeated sadly.

"Can't last forever. One day they are going to--" He stopped, and looked over her shoulder.

"What?"

He palmed the black computer pad, and hid it. "Your friends with the t-shirts are here..."

Shaine nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Um...Miss Lore?" That was Omar.

"Yeah?"

"Hi...um...can we, like, sit with you?"

"Sure."

The four of them found seats nearby, looking nervously at Crimson.

"Tough break, with those rent-a-pigs..."

"Yeah, sorry, but the guards are out in force today."

"Yes, they seem to be everywhere!" The girl in the ballgown said.

"So, if you could tell them we've been with you...uncle?..." Mav said tentatively.

"What?" Shaine winced, then blushed. She took a sip of the Coke to hide her expression.

"It always works. See, he's our long-lost uncle, here on vacation."

"Oh...yeah...okaaayyy..."

"And we've just had a nice, long lunch..."

"One problem, belove," Poe said. "Though they art swine, they would know, for we do not have refuse from said food."

"Poe, you think too much!"

Crimson's cell phone rang. He reached into his coat for it. "...Hello? 

"Yes, I see, would you be open for a ride?... Yes, we can pick you up, no trouble. Hmhmmmm. ...Yes, that's fine..." He hung up and looked at them. "Okay, you want to avoid Imperial entanglements?"

Omar smiled. "Yeah, that's right. Me, Obi," he pointed to Deis, "3PO," Poe, "and R2," Mav, "Want to get off of Tatooine..."

"Does that make her Chewie?" Poe asked.

"Wrong series, Shakespeare. I'm Lore, remember?"

"No, she's Mulder," Crimson said at the same time. "We left Scully with Ratboy."

"So who is it needs us to pick them up?"

"Just a friend of a friend."

She raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Here's the deal. Lore-Mulder, you and the kids go out to my car. Don't touch anything and wait for me."

"Sure."

"I'll be out as soon as I tell the Princess that she has to get another transport."

"All right; let's go."

"I'll be out in five, and don't stop for anything!" Crimson called after them.

"Okay, Han!" Omar replied.

"He's my new idol!" Poe said excitedly.

Omar became indignant. "Hey, I thought I was your idol!"

"You were, but he is _the man. _Like the ebon-clad warriors of the night that sweep down on ravens' wings, he has saved us! He is to me what the protectors of the night are to you."

"Poe, he's not going to make you rich...unlike my idols..." Omar rubbed his hands together.

"Oh, so you're just in it for the money?"

"You don't know," Mav pointed out, "Maybe this guy's loaded and he could give us all jobs."

"Well, no and yes. Money is the one thing we need that we don't have. People want to know and they will pay to know. As long as it's not true and has nothing to do with the truth, everyone's happy. Right?"

"His logic is flawed, but he's a good man..." Deis assured her.

"Yeah, I keep running into that type. It's my gift; it's my curse..."

"It's not like I'm actually selling them out. Heck, we all know that they're far beyond us mere mortals...and the truth we do know of them we put on the web site where it's free for all who believe."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, see, the tees help fund the website."

"And feed us..." Poe added.

"Er yeah, so we sell the fools anything they want to believe. But on the web site the truth comes out."

"And feeds us..."

Omar shot Poe a dirty look.

"I don't know. I just got in town a couple of weeks ago, and I've been hearing a lot. Hell, my boyfriend claims he got attacked by one of these fucking things, but it sounded like he was high or something."

Omar stopped. "What else have you heard?" He pulled out a palmtop and a pen.

"What? You are not going to do this to me! I'm not saying another word, man. You want a rumor from a coked-up leech, you go find him yourself."

"What? No, we'll leave out your name..."

"Truth. Huh."

"In all things, there are truths." Omar intoned.

"Yeah...and the truth here is, 'Val is white trash.' "

"Granted...it's his perspective of what happened, but depending on what he said, it may be partly reality - and that's what I want to know."

"That's gotta be the funniest thing I've heard all week. _Perspective._ Huh."

"Sure he's trash, he's a shit head, but that's why the Ravens went for him. They help good people. This Val must have done something, or gotten in the way."

"I still don't believe it."

"...So the Ravens went to teach him," Omar continued, "If it was them and not some dream."

"What about the female out near the airport?" Deis asked. "Didn't they help her?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, they did!" Mav said.

"Oh, yeah. The one the police tried to cover up!"

_Oh, shiiiit....I have to hack their website first chance I get..._ "What are you talking about?"

"We get police reports, too. There was one about two muggers ending up on the ADP HQ doorsteps! All tied up...seems they robbed a female out near O'Hare. Only they were stopped. She got back everything they took, and they were sent to jail. They help people."

"They're the only force of good left," Poe added.

"They're Indian spirits," said Mav, "Come to set right what the white man made wrong. They settle matters of greed, corruption, and hate..."

"Or they protect the weak," Deis concluded.

"Then why don't they clean out that damned Genom Tower blocking our view of the lake?"

"The way we figure, is they're Batman, Superman, and the ADP, all rolled into one." Omar said.

"They did, they did..." Poe said, "Sat strikes. That happened a few years back."

"Yeah, well, the cancer grew back."

"It was them; I'm sure of it! Only Genom's evil is in the hearts of many here, and it grew back..."

"Yeah," Omar said. "One day we hope they'll pick us to be among their ranks..."

Shaine looked up at him, surprised.

"I mean, now we're just lorekeepers, spreading the good word, but someday we hope they'll find us..."

"Or at the very least, let us know they're real..." Deis said wistfully as they approached the car.

Crimson was leaning against the Cuda, listening to the conversation as they approached.

"So what did this Val see?"

"A bunch of drug dreams. Just...leave it at that, okay?"

"Okay, okay!" Omar raised his hands in surrender.

Crimson opened the door for them. "Having fun?"

"Hell yes."

"She was listening to us tell her about the good word of the Raven."

Crimson turned to her. "Your kids are scaring me, Mulder."

"They're not mine; they just followed me home."

"Sure they did."

///

After Omar and his friends had been returned to their homes, Crimson headed toward St. Mary's Hospital. It was one of Chicago's oldest.

"You might want to hop in back," he warned.

Shaine slid over the seat.

"Branks is temperamental, as well as being a real prima donna...and a glory hound. But worse, she pouts when she has to ride in back.

"Branks is a doctor; she's...a reserve Raven. And our med expert."

He looked at his watch. "And she is now five minutes late."

From the front of the hospital emerged a short black woman, about Shaine's height, with a large, green Army duffle slung over one arm. She tossed the duffle next to Shaine.

"Mr. Crimson, you are late. I have been waiting here for over fifteen minutes!" She spoke with a fake Island accent.

"Witchdoc, this is Freefall. Freefall, the Witch Doctor..." As soon as Branks was in the car he gunned the engine and pulled away from the hospital.

Crimson flipped a switch and the car's roof slid into place. "We're taking her to a nice, sunny vacation spot."

"So has he redecorated the place? Or is it still a hole in the ground?"

Shaine shrugged. "It looks fine to me, but then I'm no interior decorator."

"I see." She hit Crimson in the arm. "What did you do, shoot the girl's taste away?"

"Her tastes are fine, and you'll only be there for a week - _making what you love to make..._ Freefall, this is one person who puts Ratboy to shame."

"Oh, I doubt that."

"She saves lives, but at a high cost..."

"No, honey. He thinks that I am in it for de money..."

"This should be good," Crimson muttered.

"I'm not; I truly want to help people. And I do."

"And just how much do you do for them if they don't have any money?"

"That not my doing."

"Could have been; you could have run the Foundations care units..."

"Same fight five years later." She turned back in her seat to look at Shaine. "So how did he get his lecherous hooks into you, young one?"

Shaine grinned. "I'm being blackmailed."

"You sink to a new low? Maybe there hope for you yet!"

"He's keeping me safe from the ADP...Genom...the FBI...and and old boyfriend."

"I see. And what does Genom and ADP want with little old you?"

"That's a long story."

"Maybe later."

"It's going to be a long week," Crimson sighed.


	4. Changeling

Changeling

Changeling  
_By Harris, Mitch, Shaine, and Shatterclaw. Individual rating: PG._

"So the suit's pilot wasn't human," Mitch said thoughtfully. "He was a police Boomer... There was a round device around the core, some sort of remote feed. That controlled the battle suit until it went rogue. It appeared to use a magnetic disk to boost the carrier signal but the disk melted."

"Could that have been remotely triggered?" Shaine asked.

"Yes. And the Boomer they used was easy to come by - used as a doormat, lab assistant, file clerk... Also, the suit never got over the temperature instability issue. It runs hot after a while, like our heavy suits used to."

Belladonna walked in. "What'd I miss?"

Mitch smiled.

"Uh oh...what'd I just..." She looked at Shaine nervously.

"Don't look at me!"

"...Step in?"

Harris caught himself just as he was about to fall asleep leaning on the counter. He looked at Bell. 

"Well, Belladonna, I was just explaining what we learned from the analysis of the battle suit."

Harris shook his head. "Damn near put me to sleep in the process..."

"Harris, there's a coffee maker over there if you're interested."

"Naw...but save your breath for tonight, just in case I can't fall asleep right away..."

Shaine smiled.

"Do you have any questions, Bell?"

"Please, no, Bell..."

"Well, a few...but none I want to ask right now."

Harris smiled. "Thank you."

"But do we know who made the Boomer do this or did it do it on its own?"

"Not yet. It's assumed it went rogue."

"Okay, so it went rogue...why does a rogue Boomer need a battlesuit?"

"Um...to get to the other side?" Shaine suggested.

"Well sure, there's that, but Boomers don't go rogue and get into suits, they just smash them or fuse with them..."

"This has happened before?"

"Yes," Mitch said.

Harris looked at Shaine. "Maybe it got a look at Mitch over there and was trying to hide in the new suit..."

"It's just strange," Belladonna continued. "See, Boomers don't just stop and think, hm, I'll go rogue and hop in a battlesuit; it's more of a, Hulk smash battlesuit make it my own... Why stop and steal a suit? And why an ADP Boomer? Aren't they, like, the good guys?"

"Yes." Mitch repeated. "But there is someone adding something to the programming."

"Let me see the code," Shaine said. "I might be able to recognize the style."

"There were these odd chips I found attached to the Boomer's mainframe, too." He set the three chips down on the table in front of them.

"Yeah, I think I saw those same ones in the Genom labs back in Rochester... Motorola makes the name brand, but Genom's gotten good at knocking them off. See, it's one of their ID numbers on the top. But that doesn't mean much."

"Well, if you want better answers...if this is a police Boomer...check the records on it. Everything should have been documented about it from the day of purchase til the day we shot it to hell."

"Fried it to hell..." Bell whispered, getting a distant look in her eyes.

"That won't tell us anything about the person who put this crap in its head," Shaine countered.

"No, but it will tell you who it was."

"Every major corp and hacking cadre has its own programming style. And I know how to tell them apart."

"Whoever did the maintenance..." Harris continued.

"Just give me the code and I'll have it for you."

Belladonna started looking for a back door. _Uh oh...not those two fighting again!_

Shaine snorted. "Some pawn. I'd rather go straight to the top."

"Well, then. Go straight to the top instead of talking about it."

"Well, then. I'll need a copy of the code." She glared at Mitch. 

"Back doors are like fingerprints, kind of, each hacker puts them there so they can get back in right?" Bell said.

"Yeah. Hackers and suits both. ...Well?" Mitch still wasn't doing anything.

"Something happened last night while I was at Murphy's," he said slowly.

"Yeah, you got drunk. What else is new?"

Shaine sighed, walked over to Mitch's console and cracked the password. She burned the Boomer code onto a hypercard and sat back down.

"Have any of you heard of a man called Albert Oliver?"

"No."

"I met him at Murphy's yesterday and he was talking about that Boomer."

"Okay, so who is this Al guy?"

Harris looked at Mitch. "Oliver, eh?" He pulled out the book of names that Tony had given him. "Yeah, think I've heard of him..."

"I'm sure he has something to do with this!"

"Yup, Mr. Fixit," Harris said.

"Ugh...this is some strange shit! Totally kluged..." Shaine muttered. "But it's solid..."

"Mr. Fixit?"

"Apparently while some of us are out doing read work we get ahold of certain information...here's his address." He held the book up; Mitch leaned over the table to read it.

Harris snapped it closed and returned it to his coat pocket. "Anyways...this is for Crim when he gets here."

"Got anything on his employment history?" Shaine asked.

"I'll check for that at the department. ADP's in my realm."

"Right...that might help me slice through this baby. It looks like it came out of ten different software labs..."

Harris sighed and grabbed a chair, taking a seat.

"I can't tell whether this is a professional playing dumb, or a really lucky lamer..."

///

The light from above the hospital table shone a dusky white. Two hours had passed, and the team working to free Amster was back where it started. Every time they'd cut a piece of the Boomer away, new tendrils had snaked out to reclaim what it had lost.

Hugo helped, and Sprocket held the EMP gun, as Crimson and Branks continued to cut through the mess of hardsuit and Boomer.

"How could this have happened? What did you _do_ to this kid?" Branks said between sections of armor and flesh.

"This is not our doing," Crimson shot back, holding up another piece to be cut. "The Army was trying to do something, possibly remake a hardsuit, or to take it to the next level."

"I don't believe that," she sighed. "But I never seen anything like this. His lung and legs are med grade Boomer parts, but they been changed, see, they're compressed." She pointed to a small, grey-pink part lying within Amster's chest. "And his legs, they more like Boomer's. Rockets, boosters, even parts _I_ don't know about."

"You're a doctor, not an engineer." Hugo said. "There are things you're not allowed to know."

"Yes, but after my glory days here I ought to know!" she huffed.

"Not possible. You can't know everything every time." Crimson pried a panel from Amster's arm, revealing a large lens set deeply into the layer below. "How many weapons did they cram in here?"

"Heat cannon?" Hugo mused. "No, too big...possibly beam cannon, or even a beam missile projector... Either way, that's too powerful for a suit or a Boomer. Even if the two fused the placement is wrong!"

"Boomer? This thing was fused with a Boomer?" Branks suddenly looked alarmed.

"Yes, and possibly some other unknown matrix. As we told you, he had Boomer legs and a lung to begin with, and possibly some wetwear to hook to the suit." Crimson finished removing the weapon, placing it on a cart.

"You never said anything about a Boomer! What if it wakes up? It could kill us!"

"When did _he_ become an _it_?"

"When he fused with a monster!" Branks threw her scalpel onto the tray next to her. It clattered down amongst the other tools.

"Doctor, if you were in any danger, you wouldn't be here. You would be safe and sound at home." Crimson picked up her scalpel and offered it to her. She snatched it from his hand and held it over Amster.

"What is this, Crimson, really?" Her tone was pleading.

"I'm not sure. It has far too many weapons to be a hardsuit, and not enough battery power. It has no fusion-proof armor, nor a fully operational system..."

"Crimson! Look at this." Hugo something up under the light. "A synchronization system; it's unlike any design I've ever seen."

"Synchronization system?" Branks asked, puzzled.

"A kind of autopilot, an advanced form of AI, that uses previously recorded actions to perform new actions if the pilot is incapacitated. That means that the suit and the Boomer here were calling the shots when it fused." Hugo shot Crimson a worried look.

"Hugo, find the black box, the Boomer's head, and the system's hard point. Now!" Crimson moved back to the side of the table. "Okay... I'm going to lift Amster's head. At the base of his skull is the connection point. Branks, I want you to cut it."

"I thought you said it would kill him," she screeched. "Most likely it, him, or us...and _I_ want to live!"

Crimson lifted Amster's head, sending blood trickling from the still-open chest. Branks reached underneath and started cutting, muttering under her breath. The back of the suit fell to the table with a thud, small round plugs popping out along the spine.

"What are those things?" Branks leaned in closer.

"Neural plugs, like the kind used to interface with computers."

"You know about them?"

"No, there were rumors out of some Genom factory, same for the US...cyberpunks have used some form or another for years," Crimson said grimly. "Hugo, help me lift him."

Sprocked pulled the lower armor backing out from Amster as they lifted him. "He's bleeding again! Get him back onto the table!" They lay him back down quickly. "We're never going to fix this mess in one night, Crimson. Not him, not the suit."

"I don't expect you to. But I _do_ expect to have Amster at one end of this table and the rest at the other."

The night wore on.

"...I think we can clone his lung here; that way, infection is limited to what you have _here._" Branks clipped the last wire feeding into Amster's leg. "It'll take a few days, but for once I think you may have a whole human left over."

"We should, after the last time we rebuilt this place for you."

"Hah! I'm sure you missed _something_." She lifted part of his once-Boomer leg. "Any idea what this does?"

"No idea, ma'am, but if you don't mind I'd like to make sure it doesn't blow us up." Hugo took the piece from her and placed it into a freezer cart. "Gonna go lock the last of this down, Boss."

"Get going." Crimson turned to Branks. "How long before Amster's back among the living?"

"He should be able to speak within a few days, and by then I'll have a new lung for him. We can do the transplant then...at the hospital."

"I understand your concerns, Doctor, but I can't let you move him until he know what's in the suit...and until we know he's safe."

"His safety? You call this safe? I need a team of trained doctors to perform this operation or he _will_ die."

"You'll have your team. Give me names and I'll bring them here."

"You're insane. No one can do that. It's against the Constitution!"

"Funny...if I offered you a bonus, would the Constitution matter anymore?"

"How dare you!"

"No, Branks. How dare _you_ think that I don't care about any of this. If I release Amster now, the entire world will jump on him, lock him up, and leave him there to rot. Here, he at least has a chance to recover. We don't know what he's been through, and we're still not clear on what he's done, but I still feel he deserves that chance. ...As for your team, they will be treated with the utmost care, as you have always been treated, unless you can figure out a way of finding teams with doctors we can borrow."

"You've checked, haven't you..." Branks looked quite surprised.

"Yes. I have checked, and planned, and paid for others' medical schooling. I have made certain that their lives have been left out of most of this craziness, that they have had fame, money...and now, when asked to pay for it, they turn their backs on me."

"I expect to at least have help when I need it."

Crimson turned his back on her and walked out of the medbay. Down the hall he could hear Shaine and Harris, then Mitch.

They were his hope for the future, the ones who would make all of the old wrongs right.

He just wished he knew how he kept dragging people into this.

///

Crimson walked into the room, looking haggard.

"What's up, Crimson?"

"We think Amster's going to make it. We got the suit off for examination..."

"That's good to hear!"

"Jinks is also doing fine...but will be confined to her room for a few weeks.

"The Boomer that fused with Amster was still active, or at least part of it was. It put up a hell of a fight. ...So what did I miss?"

Harris pulled the book out of his pocket, then tossed it to Crimson.

"The biggest fucking kluge I've ever seen. I'm wondering if it's not a Chinese Army solution, it's so spaghettified..."

Crimson skimmed through the book as he listened. "Shaine, in English: what is a Chinese Army?"

She sighed. "You ever heard of a..well, no. It's when you get a whole shitload of lamers to do the job of a few pros. Usually when way behind deadline. This code is..." She shook her head.

"Okay, and what did they do such a bad job on?"

"Not bad, just seriously hard to follow. It was in that ADP Boomer's head."

"Harris, this book. Where did you get it from?"

"Tony. One of Luna's men. And the fat ass was taken care of as well."

"I think you hit the jackpot."

"Huh?" Shaine looked up from her laptop.

"Watch the news if you want details."

"Luna! Isn't that the cat from Sailormoon?"

"Only if you're stupid..." He shook his head.

"First Bunny, now Luna..." she muttered.

"What is Sailormoon?" Mitch asked innocently. Shaine glared back at him as if he had just admitted to being a brain donor. "Well, Shaine?"

Harris stared at Mitch. "Mitch, tell me..is it ignorance or stupidity that keeps you alive?"

Shaine shook her head.

"I mean seriously...you have no idea what Sailormoon is..."

"Yeah!" Shaine said.

"No," Mitch admitted.

"Were you dropped on the head at a young age or something? I mean, hell, you can watch reruns of that shit..."

"When you're finished with your immature name-calling, would you tell me what Sailormoon is?"

"Immature, eh?"

"_Don't you get the Anime Channel?_" From her tone of voice, Shaine clearly regarded this as a Constitutional right.

"Anime? You mean, like cartoons?"

Harris shook his head. "Tell, me, Mitch: did you even _have _a childhood? Or have you always had this board stuck up your ass?"

"Yes, the cat finally figured the ditzy blonde was dead weight, and decided to take over the Chicago crime families instead," Crimson said, never looking up from Tony's book.

"Man!" Mitch shook his head.

"Well, that was before the Rabbit got her new synthetic legs...they look much nicer under that skimpy skirt of hers." Shaine smiled darkly.

"Luna's a mob boss, one of the biggest for this day and age."

"Right now, Luna is out of town," Harris added.

"He's helped Genom in the past, in return for favors..."

Mitch smiled and said, "I don't watch cartoons."

"That is something to be proud of. Really." Harris sighed, and muttered, "Pathetic..."

"...and his...family is wide open. So we're doing a little clean-up. In the long run, it will make our lives easier."

"Eh? Cleaning up is what's happening at Tony's place." Harris smiled.

"Do I want to know how bad it was?"

Shaine raised an eyebrow curiously, looking almost...proud.

_Will I ever understand those two?_ "Or should I just take the Fifth right now and save myself the trouble?"

"Watch the news tonight."

"I'll take the Fifth..."

"I made sure the cops and media got there."

"I never watch the news," Shaine said. "It's bad for my blood pressure. And my nerves."

"Naw, it'll be worth it tonight."

Shaine shook her head. _Damned cowboy..._

"Of course, I do feel sorry for the carpet cleaners."

"Do we get a cut of the cleaning cost?"

"Eh...he might be billing me actually..."

"And that brings us back to last night. Boomers, ADP, and a round disk...what are we looking at, people?"

"Who would've thought that fat fuck would've made such a mess..."

"I would. He packs food away, and even fat Boomers can hold a lot of stuff." Crimson mused.

"IC, for one. It's all here in my report."

" 'IC?' A chip of some kind, I take it?"

Shaine frowned. "Not quite all, Labcoat. That's where I got this code from. I'm still going over it to see who put this together."

"Break it back down to English. What do we have that could be useful?"

"Hell, I don't even know yet all of what it can do..."

"How much time would you need?"

"I don't know. This looks like an all-nighter, at least."

"It made an average Boomer reprogram a battlesuit to go rogue," Mitch summarized.

"Why?"

"Something's up with the ADP, maybe?" Harris said.

"I think it's deeper than that."

"It smells like Genom to me," Shaine said

"Genom might be pushing for control of the police force."

"Exactly!"

"Crooked cops?" Crimson asked.

"Yup."

"They've got enough Boomers on the Force already..." Shaine sounded disgusted.

"Looks too sloppy for Genom. And higher-ups tend to get paid off."

"Maybe, maybe not... Not everyone is for Boomers in the police."

"There are plenty of people lower on the food chain who are sloppy and ambitious," Shaine pointed out.

"They get money from Genom..."

"Take it gradually...hide their tracks and lay the blame elsewhere..."

"Do we have an idea as to who planted the chip?"

"Could it have always been there? But only recently activated?"

"Don't know, Harris. Was it inside the Boomer or outside?"

"Every police Boomer out there could have this chip. They could send a transmission and activate them all at a certain time..."

"Maybe a rogue street tech?" Mitch suggested. 

"Aren't techs usually poor?"

"That's true, Shaine."

"I'm seeing styles of programming identified with some major corporations...a tech wouldn't be a tech if he had the skills to work for Symantec or Microsoft..."

"Unless they were fired."

"True. But I kept getting jobs, didn't I?"

"Think about it," Harris continued. "Once they got these chips into every major precinct in the country, all they'd have to do is give a signal and that's it..."

"What if we're looking at this the wrong way?" Crimson suggested. "The Boomer wasn't the problem; all it did was take a suit. What if the suit was the problem?"

"Maybe. Or it was trying to take the suit somewhere."

"Some sort of trigger mechanism inside the suit?"

Crimson nodded. "They wanted the suit."

"They're worth a heavy chunk of change, I can tell you that, Crim!"

"Okay, that' the _what_. We still need the _who_."

"Who as in? Who put the chip there? Gave the orders to the Boomer?" Harris frowned.

"Mitch, get us a list of all of the police officers on duty that day who might have come in contact with the Boomer."

"I'll get right on it!" Mitch went to the computer console and brought up the ADP databases.

"Right." Crimson sank deep into thought. "The Boomer program wouldn't cover stealing. That's a human thing to do. The chip must be some sort of override..."

"Even if Shaine can find out who _may_ have made the chip and the programming...it doesn't mean we'll have solid proof. They could be shifting the blame to someone else..."

Mitch looked up from the console. "Yes, the way it's configured it can be used as an override. And four people came into contact with the suit."

"That kind of override is illegal...and doesn't come cheap... Okay, who do we have?"

"Jenkins and Oliver on the day shift, and Roberto and his partner Corbin who were at the airport."

"When you found the Boomer, Mitch, where was the chip?"

"It was placed on the Boomer with a an enzyme-based 'magnet.' to keep it there."

"So it could have been done by anyone?"

"No, it has to be placed near the core."

"So we have a chip that can be placed on any Boomer at any time, that overrides everything..."

"Its structure is similar to that of the human brain," Mitch added.

"What would you do if you could override a Boomer? Opinions, people."

"I said it once already," Harris muttered.

"Crimson, it needs a simple program like a basic Boomer. The more complex the Boomer, the longer it takes. That's why they used this one."

Crimson nodded. "So Genom might be pushing for control of the police force...which means we need to find out just how many Boomers have this chip."

"The whole Force hated the fact that they had to allow Boomers among their ranks." Mitch pointed out.

"Yeah, but as time goes by it's more and more accepted. That's what Genom is looking for."

Mitch held the chip up. "So who created this?"

"Okay...Harris, find out if Genom currently makes these chips or any similar to them. Shaine, go ahead and start working on the code."

Shaine left as Mitch tossed a chip to Harris. "Where are the police Boomers manufactured?"

"South side, was once the Pullman factory. Now a Genom complex. ...Mitch, is there any way you can check all of the police Boomers? Mass cleaning, power recharge?"

"I'll try tomorrow."

Crimson nodded. "As for the Boomers..."

"That's where all of the police Boomers for the country are made? Anywhere else they're sent before being used?"

"From what I know, it's one of three plants, but the only one serving the Midwest."

Harris nodded. "What about after completion?"

"Unknown factor. See what you can find out."

"Well, there is a storage warehouse..." Mitch ventured. "But it's underground, and under lock and key. Surveillance camera, the works."

"A storage warehouse wouldn't have the facilities to do these modifications anyway. If it's being done, it's at Genom."

"Mitch...I hate to break this to you, but I have broken in there before. It's not too hard, just annoying."

"Knowing you, Crim, I'm not surprised."

"That was back when I was part of the ADP, mind you."

Harris shook his head. "Here, Mitch. Do something useful. ADP should have a copy of the Boomer schematics; see if you can't find that chip - or if there's another with dual functions. This chip could be standard, and no one knows about it..."

"I know every chip in those Boomers and this isn't one of them."

"Just like you know about Sailormoon, right?"

"Thanks, but I'm not into cartoons."

Crimson grinned.

"Doesn't matter. Just because you see it doesn't mean it isn't there. As far as you know, this chip's other purpose could be power regulation."

"Right, James." He smiled. "I'm going to pick up a few things at the store. See you later."

"Find out for sure," Harris called after him.

"So we broaden our search... What would use an override system?"

"Depends. The police programming could be secondary...if this programming is good enough."

"Yes..."

"The chip would only need to turn on the primaries."

"Some sort of sleeper program, right."

"Yes and no. The sleeper program is the police programming, only backwards. Doesn't take much to tell a computer to follow orders."

"That's still a lot of work for one battlesuit."

"Not really, if you think about it. The effort put into the few battlesuits going into the police force is worth it when you look at the possible outcome if they all turn rogue."

"Hm...feel up for some recon?"

"Of course."

"We'll check out the plant first, then the ADP warehouse. Suits or no suits?"

"This is just recon."

"Sure it is. Famous last words."

"Unless you think we'll be needing them once we get to the Boomer factory?"

Crimson nodded. "We'll take my Cuda."

"For you, maybe...?"

"Hah. I'm not that old."

"I'm a lot harder to kill. Just ask the US military."

"I did. They claim they just never saw the need; said you'd get youself killed soon enough."

"Of course they would."

Crimson pulled out two DE's, a Raven gun, and four clips.

"Meet you in ten minutes. Going to get ready."

"See you then."

///

Harris went back to his room. Throwing on his duster, he pulled out his SOCOM, Glock, and DE, filling his pockets with armor-piercing clips. He also grabbed the laser sword and its battery backups...and a pack of cigarettes.

Crimson was leaning against the side of his car when Harris arrived, dressed in a black leather trench, porkpie hat, and sunglasses. 

He pulled the car into a lot across from the factory, pulling out night vision binoculars. After a while, he said, "I see one human guard...two Boomers."

"That's it? ...Well, it is after hours..."

"Seems to be all. There must have been some kind of movement alarm. --Or they're foolish and think no one in their right minds would try to rob this place. There is that."

"You never know...but either way, let's get going."

Crimson grabbed a black duffle from the back seat as he got out. "West side has a service door. We'll try there, then the roof."

"Why not the front door?"

"That's where our lone human guard sits, looking at his little TV screens..."

"Who said go in guns blazing."

"No one. Okay, Harris, what's your plan?"

"There's only one guard and two Boomers, right?"

"Right..."

"Well...first off, a silencer is man's best friend." He smiled.

"He's just a rent-a-cop; killing him is pointless."

"It's your call...make this as easy or as hard as you like."

"Oh, it will be easy." Crimson took a metal tube out of the duffle. "We'll use gas to knock him out; from there you can shoot as many Boomers as you want to.

"Let's go," Crim called as he walked away.

When they arrived at the door, Crimson opened the tube and slid it through the mail slot. He counted to ten as the gas flared and faded. Taking an electronic lockpick, he opened the door. "After you."

There was one large main hall, and the desk sat dead center in front of the doors. The guard sat behind it, snoring soundly. To the left was a metal door, and to the right a metal door. Harris picked up his pace and headed for the metal door. Crimson closed the front door and followed close behind.

The second door was unlocked. Harris stepped to the side of it and opened it slowly, with Crimson covering him. It opened with a low, creaking sound to reveal a railing leading down into an immense room. 

As Harris stepped through the door he could see rows of conveyor belts on the floor of the main room. "Well, then. This is it...let's make this quick."

Nearly-assembled Boomers lay on the conveyor belts and in the center of the room were five rows of police-model Boomers.

"Careful," Crimson warned. "Some may be on standby mode."

"If so, they are still police Boomers and it should be all right."

"Should've, could've...they're still Boomers. Anything is possible."

Harris shook his head. He took a closer look at one of the unfinished Boomers; there was a hole in its back where the core ought to be and the back of its head was opened. "Well, then. Let's see if we can't find a friend for our lonely chip..."

"Over here. This one looks like a good choice." Crimson stood next to a fully-assembled Boomer. "Hand me the chip."

Once he had it, Crimson placed the chip in the Boomer and turned it on.

"Greetings! I am Boomer twelve-dash-seven-kay, how may I help you?"

Crimson looked at Harris, then at the Boomer. "What is your function?"

"To protect mankind."

"List all protocols."

The Boomer repeated all ten of them perfectly.

"Well, seems fine...any ideas?"

"Sure the chip wasn't damaged? Magnet Boy can't seem to handle much."

"Didn't look like it. ...Here, let me try something." Crimson took the chip out and placed it on the Boomer's forehead.

"May I help you?" the Boomer asked.

"Okay...something's not right..."

"What is that chip on your forehead?" The Boomer's head tilted back as it tried to look. "Yeah, to say the least! Ideas?"

"Maybe something is missing? A remote device?"

"Maybe it needs a carrier wave to be activated."

"Yeah, that might be it, there..."

"So we have Mitch look for carrier waves." Crimson turned the Boomer off and removed the chip.

"I guess so."

"Someone is controlling the Boomers... Come on. Let's get out of here; I have another idea.

"We've tried a new Boomer; let's see if we can get a reaction out of one that's been around for a while..."

///

The two Ravens stood outside the ADP Tower, watching the traffic in and out of the building. 

"Okay...that unit over there, by the door. I'm going to slap this on him on my way in. See if he does anything strange."

"All right."

"Oh," Crimson added casually, "And if it goes rogue, shoot it..."

"Of course."

Crimson left Harris and approached the Boomer. He talked to it for a minute or so, then slapped it on the back and walked into the Tower. The Boomer stood in its place for about ten minutes more, then walked away from its post. It punched out the window of a car and started trying to get it. A few officers standing outside noticed, and started talking nervously.

Before they could do anything, Harris pulled out his DE and shot out the car's tires. The Boomer looked at him...then at the tires... Harris fired again, this time into the Boomer's chest.

"Freeeezzzzzzzzz.... Stooooooppppp in the nammmmee of the lllllllllawww..." It slowly brought its hand up, trying to aim at Harris.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Crimson walking back out of the building. _About time..._ Harris fired another shot at the Boomer, whose chest gave way. 

Light could be seen through the hole in the Boomer's body. Harris shook his head, looking at it, then unloaded the DE into the body. It went stiff.

"I think you've got it, Deputy." A faint smile tugged at one corner of Crimson's mouth. He held up a US Marshall's badge and calmly spun a web of lies for the assembled ADP officers to explain his presence.

Harris saw him take some sort of odd disk from the body and pocket it before the officers saw it. "May I have the body?"

"Sorry, sir, but we'd better hold on to it for now...at least until we've finished our investigation of...this..."

Crimson nodded and led Harris back to the car. "We'll have some more information in the morning - after we get that body. For now, though, let's go home."


	5. Do the Dew

Do the Dew

Do the Dew  
_By Harris, Shaine, and Shatterclaw. Individual rating: R._

"Jim, you in here?"

Harris looked up from a Star Trek video. "Eh...it would appear so..."

"How would you like to do a little pickup? The ADP's released the Boomer into the custody of one US Marshalls office..."

"Okay..."

"...And I need three of my deputies to go and fetch it for me."

"Of course."

"Find Bell and Shaine, and go make sure they don't lose it."

_The ADP, or Bell and Shaine?_ Harris wondered.

"Here are the badges, and a pass to get you in... Take the green truck; it still has all the markings of the office."

"All right." 

_Now...if I were an immature, computer-fixated hacker with no sense of reality, where in the base would I be?_

///

"Caw, _caw!_"

"Uh? C'min!" Shaine managed to say around a bottle of Mountain Dew. She set the bottle down and saved her work on the ADP Boomer override code.

"Caw!"

"Quiet, Ravencroft!" Belladonna said. "HEY, Freefall!"

"Hi."

"_Caw!_"

"Coding," Shaine continued. "Come back later."

"Um, Boss has a job for us..."

"Oh...um..." She typed faster, then saved again and closed out the program. "Okay, I can go."

"If you're busy, we can go tell him..."

"Nah. I got it mostly done." Shaine saw Harris stepping up behind Bell...she smiled. Without a word, he tapped the younger woman's shoulder.

"_Aaaaahhhh!_" Belladonna howled.

"Caw, caw, _caw!_"

"What is your malfunction, Harris?" She turned, just in time to have a badge stuck in her face. She yanked it away from him.

"I ain't the one who yelled. Now, if you're done pissing your pants..." He handed another badge to Shaine.

"I'm going to tie a damned bell on you!"

"Caw!" Morrigan added.

"Like that'll do any good..."

Shaine began humming: _'Twas brilling and the slithy toves/Did gyre and gimble in the wabe..._

"We'll see!" Bell threatened. Harris just shook his head. "Great, I'm stuck in the rabbit hole with the March Hare and the Mad Hatter Gunman..." She trailed behind Shaine and Harris, still whimpering.

Shaine gave her best evil giggle and took another chug of her Dew. "So what mad tea party are we headed for this time?"

"Ohhh, someone got sugar crack!"

"Yeah. Need it for those long hacking runs...though this one's been easier than I expected."

"We're going to pick up a Boomer..."

"Do you want to tell her, oh fearless shooter, or should I?"

"From the ADP. ...Depends, Bell. Do you like repeating me?"

"Hehe...yeah, that's Boss, throwing his weight around!"

"So," Shaine said. "What's this Boomer of yours?"

"Some new Superboomer?" Bell speculated.

Harris opened the door of the truck, then looked back at Belladonna. "You ask too many questions. _Shut up_ for once."

"Superboomer?" Shaine repeated blankly.

"...And do what you're told!"

"No, wait! I want to hear this."

"I _need_ to ask questions; it's the only way I ever find out about anything!"

"It's a police Boomer, Shaine. Nothing special."

"Same one from last night?"

"Oh, sometimes we end up picking up the pieces from battles that we..._ahem _engage in."

Shaine nodded, relieved. "All right."

Belladonna frowned as she opened the door for Shaine. "Poo, just an ADP Boomer? Why bother?"

"Who cares? You have your fucking orders, now follow them."

"_Yes, sir!_"

"I asked for a _reason_, Harris. I take it Crimson hasn't told you yet but there is something new in the works at Genom."

"Oh, really! Do tell!"

"Hase Kant is headed to Chicago and I think she may be bringing some of her toys with her."

"Come on, Shaine! Spill it!"

"Kant's a weapons specialist," she continued slowly. "Former hit woman. She was with my uncle in Germany ten years ago."

"Kent? What, she Clark Kent's sister?"

Harris, impatient, started the truck and pulled out.

"Kant, not Kent...like the philosopher, Immanuel?"

"Never read him. But that's _just_ what we need...Erik's castoffs..."

"I worked for her once. Trust me, no one casts her off."

"So on a Carter scale, one to ten, where would you put her?"

"Ten, definitely."

"Oh, crap!"

"And the Boomers she's been working on are somewhere up around twelve. Twice as fast as a human, with concealed weapons. That's why I wondered about the word Superboomer."

"Aw, shit! Kant, right?"

Harris sighed and floored the brake, causing the tires to squeal for several seconds...then releasing it. "Can't you save this for later?"

Shaine looked at Belladonna curiously, then at Harris. "Sure. It's your skin..."

Bell continued as if he hadn't spoken. "I know her! She was in a report from the Knight Sabers."

"Oh, really?" _Knight Sabers...? So that's why he wanted to know about them..._

"Yeah. Their boss sent Crim a file on her, but nothing that would help. She's bad news."

"I'll have to ask him later."

"Um, I wouldn't, if I were you!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I peeked at it when it came in...not for mere Ravens' eyes... Mom would freak, if she found out I did that!"

Shaine's eyes narrowed.

"And Crim would _ground_ me! But hey, making sure we have the right info at the right time is a right all Ravens have."

"I think I'm old enough to handle it, Bell." Shaine laughed a little.

"Yeah, you are. He'd tell you first, and Harris, but I'd be the last one in on it..."

"I promise you, if it's relevant, I'll tell you."

"...and with Mom down, we may need more firepower to handle this. --Cool! I can live with it... So what type of Boomers does she use?"

"Replicants, mostly. Some may be the new models I mentioned. Nexus-6."

"Nexus-6?"

"Yeah."

"Never heard of them."

"Yeah, I figured that."

"Okay, I'll bite." Bell said, her words failing to hide her curiosity. "What are they?"

"Well...take the strongest and fastest Boomer you've ever fought and cross it with a bioengineered human. Then add new grav weapons... That should give you an idea."

Bell sat back. "Woooow."

"I was working on hacking the N-6 preproduction tests when I got...called down here."

"Any luck?"

Harris's Desert Eagle shot back toward them. "You two shut the fuck up!" The truck swerved, barely under control.

"Aaaah!"

"Another fucking word and I shut both of you up!"

Belladonna cringed into the corner. Shaine glanced at Harris; out of his sight she formed a '0' with her fingers. _Nothing. _Then she leaned back. There was a flicker of acknowledgment in Bell's eyes, but she still tried to keep Shaine between her and Harris. 

Belladonna pantomimed zipping her mouth, and held her hands up in surrender. Just then they reached the holding facility. Harris dropped the gun, then holstered it. "All right. Let's get this done quickly."

They flashed their badges at the guard shack and were waved through. "You here to pick up the stiff?"

"Yes." Harris took out the rest of the paperwork and gave it to the guard.

"Good. Two levels down, dock five. Ask for Oscar."

There was a black van where the gate guard had directed them to go, and three men stood near it loading a Boomer into the back. All three wore ski masks and light armor spraypainted black.

"What the...?" Shaine looked at Belladonna sharply, but Harris seemed not to care. 

Without even turning the engine off he jumped out of the truck. "Hey! What are you doing with that Boomer?"

He pulled out his DE just as one of the men produced an Uzi. Shaine grabbed her Miyako and vaulted out of the truck.

Harris shot the one with the weapon; the other two began scrambling to get the Boomer into the van. Shaine fired at one; blood bubbled from his head as he fell to the ground. 

The van's engine was running. She frowned, then emptied her clip into the tires...hitting only three times. As she reloaded, she could see Harris fire at the engine three times and hit with all three. A strong gasohol smell filled the air.

_Oh, shit!_ She started running. 

Harris immediately headed for the van and the Boomer. Belladonna left the van, dragging the two bodies away. 

Shaine looked back. "Harris? ...Damn it!" She charged back toward the van, bringing her gun up toward the third man. He had a rifle aimed at the back door...

Harris dove to the side as the third man shot at him, missing and taking a chunk out of the van door. He fired back a split second before Shaine did; both hit, the latter taking out the glass, and the man slumped forward, his gun firing into the ground.

Harris stood quickly and pulled the Boomer out of the van. Shaine climbed back into the truck just as he arrived and the van turned into a fireball. 

"Shaine, call the boss!" Belladonna gasped, trying to help Harris load the Boomer into the back of the truck. "We're going to need cover stories!"

"Hello."

"Crim, it's Freefall! We've got the Boomer..."

"Report!"

"Eh, we've overstayed this welcome," Harris muttered as he hopped into the truck.

"We got a Snakebite Effect down here...gonna need cover stories..."

"Come _on_, Bell! Get your ass in or stay!"

"On it, get out ASAP. Don't stop for anything."

"Yeah, I thought you'd say that," Shaine replied ruefully. "Plus their truck is now a lovely fireball..."

"See you back at HQ." Crimson hung up.

Shaine set down the phone and looked at Harris's reflection in the rearview. "He says floor it...but then I'm sure you could have figured that on your own..."

Belladonna had jumped in at some point during the call and held a camera in one hand. She wiped blood off of herself with the other. 

The gate was up by the time they got there, and there was no guard in sight. Harris sped through, not caring. Fire trucks and other emergency vehicles passed him on the way in.

About two blocks later, he heard helicopters. "Shit!"

Belladonna glanced behind them nervously. "They're not ADP or news...looks like they're painted black?"

"Eh...friends of the assholes we left back there?"

"Yeah, I think so. Don't they know I'm _too young to die?_"

Harris shook his head as he held the gas pedal to the floor.

"We can ditch the truck..." Belladonna was cut off by a hail of bullets from a Gatling gun. She and Shaine ducked as the side mirror, fender, and glass disappeared.

"Damn..." Harris swerved from side to side, trying to spoil their aim. "Fuck..."

A second helicopter cut across, hitting the back of the truck. Shaine gritted her teeth. "Scheizen!"

"English, English!"

Harris reached behind his back for his SOCOM. "Damn it, take the wheel!"

"Who gives a rat's ass about language?" Shaine climbed over Harris and slid into the driver's seat.

"No, the guys there like English or something...hitting the wrong side first..."

Harris fired a shot into the back window, aiming at the helicopter's back rotor. 

"When I get back," Shaine gasped, "I am tearing up my driver's license. Just so you know..."

The helicopter's tail blade began to smoke, and it started careening off course. The other one turned away and was soon out of range.

"Oh, man, what is it we just stepped in?"

Harris slid back into the cab, sliding between Bell and Shaine. "Eeeeeek!" Bell gasped.

"Okay...probably going to have some more fun... Shaine, get us back as soon as possible."

_No shit. I was going to take the scenic route._ She bit her lip.

///

The truck sputtered to a stop as they reached the Nest's parking lot. The passenger's side door flew open and Belladonna raced outside. Harris and Shaine followed her out, the former checking to see if they'd been followed and the latter heading for the Boomer.

Shaine noticed that the Boomer was sporting a few more decorative bullet holes, but was mostly intact. It was also strapped to a dolly. She tugged at the dolly, but it barely moved under the force of her unimpressive weight.

Seeing nothing, Harris put his guns away and joined her in the back of the truck. "Here," he said, unstrapping the Boomer from the dolly and slinging it over his shoulder.

Crimson was waiting for them at the door. "Lab one."

///

"Everyone all right?"

"Yeah," Shaine replied.

Harris turned to Crimson, tossing the keys to the truck to him. "Just peachy..."

Crimson caught the keys in midair. "Any idea who they were?"

"I...um...took pictures of two of them... The others were doing their thing, so I thought I would help out..."

"Someone might wish to go check out what's left of the helicopter as well."

"The ADP has that. We'll look at their findings later."

"Sorry about the truck. Little paint and hey, good as new."

Crimson nodded to Harris. "Hugo will take care of the wrecks through Doc's shop...it's where we send most of our damaged. But the truck can be replaced."

"So be it."

"Bell, Shaine, crack into the ADP. Find out what you can, and who these men are. I'll be covering the hellstorm from the attack."

"Right... Do you want to hear about the Boomer override code now?"

"Sure. What have you found?"

"I've got about 90% cracked. The encoding relies on incantations...undocumented commands."

"Um-hmmm..."

"Most have something to do with nursery rhymes or children's stories."

"Incantations?"

"...And there are a shitload of Alice in Wonderland references. --Yeah. It's like...there are command no one knows about, except the person who put them in..."

"Okay, so we have a freak who likes kids' rhymes...what effect would they have on Boomers?"

Harris turned to Shaine. "By the way, what's the Snakebite Effect?"

"...And almost no chance of stumbling on them at random." She blinked. "Yeah, well you know...you touch something, it goes up in flames?"

"Hoo yeah, Snakebite Effect...when everything hits the fan...and then gets worse!"

He reached over swiftly and grabbed Shaine's arm. She looked up at him, but didn't have enough time to dodge. "Damn...didn't work this time..."

"Oh...I don't know about that." Her voice had turned breathy.

Crimson grinned, and motioned for Bell to leave the room.

"I left a report and the decoded information in the database."

"I'll look it over," Crimson said as he walked out.

Shaine looked at Harris for a moment, then left as well.

He stood there and sighed. "Once again...

"Oh well." He left, making his way toward his room. "One of these days, just a simple thank you..."

///

On the way there, he saw Saki leaning against a wall. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a carton of cigarettes and lit one. Looking at her tiredly, he popped it into his mouth.

She smiled. "Haven't been around lately... You do remember what tomorrow is, don't you?"

He puffed on the cigarette. "Someone's got to get something worthwhile done around here. And no...hell, I don't even know what today is..."

"We all have our bit parts, and each one fits into the whole..."

"Ah, yes, tomorrow!"

Her eyes lit up and the smile grew more predatory. "So you do remember more than gun shells."

"Of course."

"I was beginning to think that Bell's little rumors were right," Saki mused.

"Oh? What rumors?"

"That you sleep with your guns more often than you do with a female."

"Well, you're probably right. Married to my work..."

"We'll have to change that."

"Oh?"

"Yes, assuming all goes well tomorrow!"

"Assuming all goes well... What's that supposed to mean?"

The smile grew yet more predatory. "It means that dinner and an evening away from work will do us both some good - and I do not take no for an answer, Mr. Harris."

"Maybe. I didn't think you would... Well, then, you'll have your dinner."

She leaned in to kiss him, but he stepped back, placing his hand in the way. "No."

"No?"

He shook his head.

"As you wish..._for now._ Seven tomorrow." She walked past him and down the hall.

"Yeah."

_...Wait...isn't this near Shaine's room?_

He turned the corner and looked inside. The door was open, and she seemed to be surfing the web.

Yes...Cartoon Network's official Space Ghost site. The transcript from one episode, _Gum, Disease_, was on the screen. She sat staring at the screen, with her raven on the back of her chair and a bottle of pop in one hand.

"Caw!" Morrigan announced.

"Hello..."

"Uh, hi." She looked up.

"_Arw?_"

"What you looking at?"

"Space Ghost. I'm a bit of a Zorak fan."

"_Caw, CAW!_"

Shaine glanced at Morrigan in amusement, then continued. "You know, Lone Locust of the Apocalypse and all that..."

"I see."

Shaine took a sip of her Mountain Dew. "Why are you punishing me _this_ time?" she croaked in an imitation Zorak voice, then answered herself: "Because you're evil!"

"Heh. Not bad..."

"Thanks." She spun the chair around idly. "So..."

"Um...well, just figured I'd see what you were up to..."

"Yeah." She proffered the bottle. "Want some Dew?"

"Caw?"

Harris smiled slightly. "Sure..."

"Not you, Morrigan!" She handed him the bottle. "May our eggs share a nest, Harris..."

He looked at her curiously and took a sip.

"What, you've never read _Stranger in a Strange Land_?"

"No." 

She shook her head. "Man..." Then she grabbed another bottle and twisted the cap off.

"I don't have much time for reading, you know."

"Yeah..."

"Someone has to be able to shoot down helicopters, and that's not Mitch."

She nodded lazily, taking a large gulp.

"He's about as useful as a hole in the head."

"Yeah."

Harris sighed, taking another drink.

"Can't believe they let a pig in here."

"Soon as he steps out of line, we'll see if he can squeal! ...Oh, by the way..."

"Yeah?"

"What the hell is this rumor about me sleeping with my guns more than with women?"

"Huh? Well, you couldn't prove it wrong by me...but I've never heard that."

"Oh..."

"Ahhh, don't let Bell get you down. She's just a kid."

"Arw, arw!"

Shaine's head snapped around. "_Quiet_, Morri!" Then she looked up thoughtfully. "Y'know, I'm going to be spending a lot of time around here for the next few days...so..."

"Eh, wasn't Bell... Oh well."

"Oh?"

"The other one."

"Other one?"

"Saki, I think."

"That doesn't seem like her, though... Man, that's weird!"

"I don't know, but she seems to have more in mind than a dinner which I owe her tomorrow..."

Shaine suddenly went extremely and completely silent.

"Oh well. I'm not going to let anything happen. If it's just dinner..."

"Well," Shaine replied feebly, "No harm in a little fun..." But her tone said just the opposite.

"Fun?" He shook his head."

"Yeah. Why not."

"Eh... That's not my type of fun, thank you."

She shrugged. "Better than a Boomer, and better than being, ah...lonely."

"True."

Morrigan got bored and hopped onto the bed, pecking at the remote. The TV flared to life and began flipping through channels.

"But without feeling, it's the same as a Boomer."

"What, you think the love of your life is going to land in your lap tomorrow?"

"Caw!" 

Shaine glared at Morrigan. "Damned bird..."

"I don't know. All depends on what happens..."

"_Caw!_" 

Shaine stood and grabbed the remote. "I don't know why I ever..."

"Bet the bird would taste good cooked right about now..."

"No thanks," Shaine said dryly. She turned the television off, threw the remote into a desk drawer, and sat back down. Morri cocked her head, stared for a moment, then flew out.

"Oh well. What about you?"

"Huh?"

"Don't believe in love?"

"There's a hell of a lot of difference between that and sex." She winced. "And if you get the two mixed up, it only ends in pain... Love...is when someone else's well-being means more to you than your own." _Easy, girl. He's never read Heinlein, he just told you that...trying to get him to accept this..._

"Exactly."

"...It has nothing to do with being horny..."

"But without love, sex has no meaning."

She shrugged. "Meaning is subjective."

"Well, hey...if you're horny, use your hand. If you're doing it without love...why bother with a man?"

"Because they're warm...and cuddly...and most of 'em awfully stupid." A slight smile.

"So are Boomers." She tensed at this. "And you only have to buy them once."

"There's no sport to that," she managed to choke out.

"So it's a game for you, eh?"

"You said it's all about meaning..."

He shook his head.

"It's _not_ about power, though... Why not play the game if everyone wins?"

"It's about being horny and having power over men, huh?"

She frowned. "If it were about power, I'd still be with Ratboy now...damned poser..."

"Having some guy shove his cock inside you? ...What the hell?..." He sighed.

Shaine looked at him sharply, then away. "It's about...being able to forget...something else to take your mind off of the pain." She rested one hand on her laptop. "Like this does."

"So then it's a drug for you. Gotta have."

"...And I can _walk away_...not like a drug, or getting drunk..." _I'm still me..._

"You don't care how, or with who! Just to kill the pain..."

"Why the hell not? I'm not going to get anything better."

"Buy a dildo, then. What you do is wrong.

"And thinking like that...you probably won't ever..."

The following silence stretched on for several minutes, then she asked softly, "Are you done?"

He looked at her and shook his head.

She stood again and walked toward her bedroom. Standing in the doorway, she continued, "I shouldn't have expected you to understand." 

She stepped through and closed the door behind her.


	6. Good Cop, Bad Cop

Good Cop,

Good Cop, Bad Cop  
_By Harris, Mitch, Shaine, and Shatterclaw. Individual rating: PG._

When the nestlings arrived in the command center, they found Crimson wearing a hardsuit with two pairs of wings. One was made of feathers, the other of radio panels.

"Interesting, Crimson!" Mitch said.

"It's the best we can do at the time...so don't start."

"What is it?"

"A modified comm array. We're going hunting, boys and ladies." Mitch smiled at that.

Harris simply stood there staring at the wings. "...Really? Who and where?"

"We've found out that our Boomers here are being controlled by the chips. They're getting their marching orders from somewhere within the city limits. This ungainly piece of hardware is how you will find the bastards. It has all the power of a comsat, and all the flight time of a wing."

"Hmmm..." Mitch stepped in to take a closer look.

"What you will be looking for is a broadband signal which the chips can read. Your suits have a clone chip which acts like the real thing, save that it doesn't do anything once it's been activated. Your job is to get this guy - or guys - then stop them and take them to the ADP tied up with a bow. Any questions?"

Shaine shook her head. Mitch said, "No."

"Does it matter how many pieces they're in when we deliver them?"

Shaine glared at Harris; Mitch just laughed.

"Whole, not pieces."

"So alive."

"I believe we're dealing with ADP officers here." Mitch shook his head at that, and began walking toward the hardsuits. "So alive."

"And if they resist?"

"Not dead. Wounded is fine, so long as they can still talk."

"Fine."

"_And stand trial_, so nothing major. No broken spines, no concussions. Now go."

Harris sighed and went to his hardsuit; Shaine followed. Belladonna was there waiting to lock them into the wings. 

She smiled. "Happy hunting! Bring me back a gift!"

///

After an hour of patrolling the early morning skies, the three had found nothing other than the ordinary radar traffic. There wasn't even so much as a car crash. Then Harris suddenly picked up a _ping_ing noise coming from about five miles away.

"I've got something, people. Seems to be coming from the northwest."

"Yeah...I'm getting it too. But I'm still working on getting a lock--"

"Follow me."

It was a two-story apartment building with five cars in front. No one seemed to be around, which didn't seem too unusual. It was only a little past 4:30. Mitch and Shaine landed not too far behind Harris, and Mitch powered up his weapons.

"Mitch, I hope you're arming those to fight me...Crim said no killing."

"Chill, James!"

The building was well-kept, with a well-trimmed yard, a nice back lot, and a man in black armor sitting out in the back having a smoke. Shaine started scanning it. "Two levels...man, this place is rigged! And at least part is jammed; I can't see anything there. But there is a shitload of equipment in there...not too bad... Five to six people and no Boomers in sight... Heyyy, looks like they got some of those new ten-quad hard drives!"

"Well, Shaine, better ask Crimson for a raise when we get back..."

"Bite me, Harris."

"Eh? Now we're asking for favors?"

"Any electronic listening devices, Shaine?"

"I can't tell what's in the jammed area. But there are some, at least, in one area...it's set up kind of like a cell block..."

Harris sighed and headed toward the back. The guard wasn't paying much attention to his watch; his ADP-issue anti-Boomer rifle was slung over one arm with the barrel pointing toward the ground. Harris walked up to him and simply hit him on the head. The guard slumped to the ground.

There was a door in the back wall, but it was sized for a normal human, without wings and power armor. Harris looked at the door, somewhat pissed, and the door steadfastly refused to look back or care.

"Excuse me, Snakebite." Mitch stepped past him and cut the door to Raven proportions with his laser claws. As he began to tear through the support beams, Harris pushed him through. The door jammed, and Mitch broke through, lying in a heap just inside it.

Harris stepped through, not caring about the Raven-shaped doormat. It was a still a tight fit, but he forced his way through into the equally cramped hall. 

Mitch pulled himself back up. "Do you try to be an ass or does it come naturally?"

"Natural, Mitch. Remember that." Shaine followed them in once Mitch was out of the doorway.

There was a larger steel door at the end of the hall. It flew open with a _bang_ and the Ravens could see the flash of gun barrels a scant moment before a rain of bullets came down upon them. It stung, but didn't penetrate the hardsuits. 

Enraged, Harris rushed toward the doorway. Shaine sucked in her breath nervously, but didn't try to stop him. 

The man started screaming in fear as Harris lifted him, unable to see the cloaked Ravens. He struggled, but that did little good. The others seemed to hold their fire.

They moved back into the larger room beyond the door. Harris turned toward them, using his prisoner as a shield. "Stop."

A grenade rolled out toward him. "Oh shit..." He dove out of the way, tossing the other man onto it. A blue-purple smoke filled the hallway, but had no effect upon the Ravens or their hardsuits. 

Harris shook his head. "Okay...now these guys are bugging me..." 

There came a low rumbling noise, and the building began to shake. Harris made his way into the other room, kicking the unconscious man lying on the floor. Mitch followed him in, then Shaine sighed and likewise followed Harris.

A large van was trying to get out of the building by knocking down the front wall. Two gunners at the top were aiming a large anti-Boomer rifle at them.

Mitch fired a low-level laser at the van, hoping to stun its occupants, just as Harris dove to the side to evade the rifle. Shaine moved away from the doorway and off to the side, then Mitch followed suit. The van lurched forward and lumbered out of the building. Shaine fired her rail guns at it, hitting the back of the van and exploded. Mitch did the same with his laser, to little effect.

Shaine swore and aimed at the gunners. Meanwhile, Harris had started chasing after the truck, and Mitch followed with laser claws exposed. 

The rail burst hit, and the barrel of the rifle was split in two. Harris brought out his laser sword, slashing at the tires. 

_Damn...looks like I'm going to have to go follow those idiots..._ Shaine began running toward the van. "Damnfools," she muttered.

Mitch ripped the back door off of the van, which was beginning to tip to one side. It crashed into a wall, holding at about a 45 degree angle. Confused cries and shouts could be heard from inside.

Three men rushed out of the back of the van. Mitch fired a low-level laser at them, and Harris grabbed the nearest of the three. Shaine raced up toward the van and snatched up another; Mitch took hold of the third as he stumbled outside, looking green from the gas grenade.

The third man retched. Mitch swung him toward Harris, who stepped back slightly, using his own captive as a shield.

"Will you two stop acting like spoiled children!" Shaine snapped over the comms.

"What...what do you want?" whimpered the man she was holding.

"We want to know about the Boomer control mechanism you have."

"I...I don't know anything..."

"Don't tell him, Ken! Don't tell these filthy Boomers anything!"

_Pretty brave, for someone who can't even see us..._ "Yeah, Ken? That's not what we heard."

"Speak!" Mitch snarled, shaking his captive. The man just moaned, turning even paler.

"I, I'm only helping take back the city," said the first one.

"From who?"

"I only did this so..."

Harris lifted him up by the collar, holding him in the air. "Genom...the crooks at city hall..."

"Where did you get the equipment from?"

"We took it. Some from busts, some from Genom, some from the n-police...some of it's from our own pockets..."

"And the chips? The programming? That's some fancy work."

"Gulf and Bradley."

"Bullshit," Shaine exploded. "G&B doesn't write code like that."

"It's a prototype that they lost...we changed some of it to get it to work. Took months."

"And what does 'Alice in Wonderland' mean to you?"

"Huh? My kid, she gave me the idea."

Shaine closed her hands around her captive. "Yeah, sure."

"Who'd think that playing nursery rhymes would drive Boomers nuts?"

"Want to be fed to the Jabberwocky, asshole?" She tightened her grip a bit more. He'd have a spectacular collection of bruises to display the next day, but no serious damage. "Why Alice?"

"Alice...Pooh Bear...they're all there, on different chips...each chip's a different story."

"I don't believe you!"

"No one would pick up on it."

"What did they tell you?" she continued as if he hadn't spoken.

"Who the hell thinks of this shit? No one would believe it, so we used it."

"I know where you got this from," she snarled, "So you might as well tell me about it."

"They told me we could change things, if we just had control of the Boomers...no more rogues..."

"And you believed them! You believed that crap?"

"No more friends dying because of Genom..."

"Believed they'd ask you to help them?"

"Yeah, I believe it. I've seen it work."

"Let me name a face, and see if it rings bells... I'm talking about a blond man, 5' 10", or a woman with brown curly hair and huge eyes...maybe a short girl, twentysomething, also brown hair... Which one was it?"

"I don't know," he gasped. "I've never met them, or I've seen too many like them."

"I find that hard to believe." She tightened her grip even more. Any further and she'd risk bruising his ribs.

"Shit, I see people like that every _day_."

"How about names?"

"I see them in the back of the paddy wagon, or brought in for questioning..."

"Erik Kohl? ...Kathy? Shaine? Katerin, maybe?"

"Kohl? Those Genom bastards?"

"I know he put you up to this!"

"You think I'm working for _Genom?_ Fuck you! I may have fucked up but I'm still ADP!"

"He duped you," she continued coolly. "He lied to you."

"I am no Genom lackey!"

She shook her head.

"Shit, you Boomers are dumb!"

"Alice..." she whispered, just low enough for the three men to hear.

"Alice? Look...we're not with Genom."

"Sure."

"We did this on our own. Look," he twisted around, trying to reach the badge in his pocket. "Ken Andrews, ADP frontline."

"I don't care who you are. Or what lies he told you to get you on his side. How he hid who he was." She inhaled deeply. "Alice. Huh."

"Oh, man are you nuts!"

Shaine stared at Andrews, wondering whether she ought to try to convince the others to bring him back to the Nest.

Meanwhile, Mitch's captive had come to again and noticed that his feet weren't touching the ground. He couldn't see the cloaked Raven's laser claws, but he could smell the ozone and feel their warmth. "Yeeeeahhhh!" He started kicking frantically.

"Hey, welcome back to reality! My name's Wolverine." He sliced his claws through the air, generating a _whirr_ing noise. "Can you guess why?"

"Heh." Shaine grinned.

"Who are you?" Mitch asked.

"Lieutenant Robert Michaels. ADP. Don't kill me; I have a wife and kids!"

"Aw, crap...I'm picking up a large air vehicle on radar! We need to get out of here."

"Tell me what your orders are...or I'll show you what these laser claws can do."

"To gather equipment," the still-stunned Michaels replied. "Acquire Boomers for armaments...we, we wanted to..."

"There's more. Speak!"

"Yes...there's more...but all I know is that the chips were being used to hijack Genom Boomers. Only Genom made that model, so at least we could get them off of the Force. We made the chips here...we're trying to fight Genom."

"Why were they programmed to steal a K-suit?" Shaine asked.

"To help them. K-suits are the only thing that can take on a rogue Boomer. And we added weapons..."

"Who designed the chip?"

"Oliver. He came up with the basic design. But Ken added the coding, and I did the signal...the others were support. Each night we'd rob Genom of more weapons, the next day we reported the crime...it was perfect until this!"

"No...it wasn't perfect before this. What about the one that went rogue inside of a K-suit?"

"It didn't go rogue. We had it under control."

"Oh?"

"Until we got it to the top of the Tower...then something zapped it, lightning or something, and the whole system got fried... It half cooked one of us from the feedback!" He shook his head. "What do you want from us?"

Any response the Ravens might have made was cut off by the sound of gunfire.

"Shit! I told you!" Shaine launched into the air with her captive, followed closely by Mitch. She didn't see if Harris was behind them. "I'm reading a K-suit back there...firebee close by...both of them ADP. So, Wolverine, should we turn them in now or ask more questions first? I still don't believe this half-assed ADP Liberation Army story of theirs."

"Let's blindfold them and bring them back."

"Right...but how?" She frowned. "Or just knock them out..."

"Yeah..." A moment later, both of the ADP officers were unconcscious. 

"All right, let's go." _Where the hell is Harris? --Wait. You shouldn't care about that... _Shaine launched off of the rooftop upon which they'd perched, and the pair headed back for the Nest. A few moments later, Shaine saw Harris's suit following them and told herself not to be relieved that it was so.

Back at the Nest, the officers were placed in the medlab and examined by Branks before Crimson arrived, then tied to chairs. Harris removed his helmet; Crimson scowled and motioned for him to put it back on.

As Harris sighed and did so, Shaine laughed a little and slipped out of the room. Crimson stared after her for a moment. _No. I'll take care of that later._

Moaning, the three officers began to wake up. "Where is this...?" asked Robert.

"Don't know," Ken replied.

Then they saw the Ravens for the first time.

"Greetings, gentlemen! Welcome to your afterlife." Mitch growled at them. "As you can see, my brother here doesn't much like what you've done. Nor does he believe you. His name is Wolverine; like the small mammal he eats his prey raw."

Harris shook his head at the blatant melodrama.

"And this is Snakebite..."

"Yeah, for some reason they call me Snakebite..." _And I am _still_ going to find out what Shaine knows about that..._

"He kills with one strike, and is just as nasty."

"Ah, yeah, that's it! So...which one of you pigs wants to squeal first?"

Mitch exposed his laser claws near Michaels's face, letting him feel the warmth and hum of them again. Michaels quickly turned pale once again.

"What do you want from us? We've already told you everything we know."

"Who is your leader?"

"Hector. He answers to Oliver, and Oliver set us up..."

"And why use Boomers?"

"We have families," Ken answered. "We can't be found out, or we lose everything. If the Force found out we were stealing ADP gear for vigilante work, they'd take our badges. And our pension... Not many of us have family but those that do...want to make sure they can keep them safe."

"You'll lose more than pensions if you don't tell me how those chips work."

"They're coded with nursery rhymes...the radio signal activates the chip, then the chip overrides the Boomer's code and we control them by remote, through the chips. Each one is a different story, so a different code." 

Crimson nodded. "Why Oliver?"

"I don't know. He came up with the idea."

Crim opened a private comm to the others. "What do you think?"

"What did they have to gain?" Mitch asked.

"What do you get out of all of this?" Crim relayed.

"A little money, from whatever we sold off of the Boomers...but mostly just to get our city back from Genom."

"Likely." Crim muttered over the private link.

Harris sighed and began to walk out. "Call me if I'm needed."

Crimson looked back at him but again said nothing.

"I don't know, Crim...I feel like there's something they're not telling us. Why, I don't know."

"Could be, probably is... It doesn't fit. Who is this Oliver, and what's his stake in all of this? And why start a group like this?"

"I think we should toss them back and see where they lead us."

"Good idea. But one other thing, first..."

Crim held up his armored fist, and the room filled with a faint, sweet-smelling gas. Soon the three officers were unconscious again.

"Oliver is associated with the ADP, but how I don't know."

"They're all officers, or front line...they've all risen up through the ranks. And what bothers me more, is that this Oliver is connected with the mob...if it's the same man. Have you ever met him?"

"Yes."

"I want you to get the file on this guy, anything the ADP has but especially a picture."

"I met him at Murphy's when Shaine came to cheer me up."

"Really! What did he say to you?"

"He asked me about the new police Boomers coming in..."

"Anything else?"

"No; I wasn't in the mood for talking shop."

"Hm... Next time, play up to him. He might have tried to recruit you. With these guys out of the way, he'll need new people..."

"Good idea. I'll keep my eyes open."

"Good. Go ahead and change; I'll take care of these three."

"No problem, Chief!"


	7. In the Den of Lionesses

In the Den of Lionesses

In the Den of Lionesses  
_By Harris, Shaine, and Shatterclaw. Individual rating: R._

_Sunday evening._

Dr. Vladimir Cinocard stood in the front lobby of Genom Chicago. He half expected the guards - Boomer or otherwise - to arrest him the moment he walked through the doors. _Grown lax. Just like the rest of the human race..._

He glanced at his watch, and the machine screen read off the hour. In another ten minutes she would know he was there. And in five more she would welcome him back, despite her orders to the contrary, and in another ten she would sell him her soul...

Vlad grinned, his sharp canines flashing in the bright light. A drop of blood trickled down his hand and fell to meet several others which had gathered on a now-crushed watch lying on the floor.

///

Carter read the report again - for a sixth time. For some reason, she could not keep her mind on it. Memories of Quincy, of Japan, kept flashing through her mind. Rice looked at her. The Boomeroid was giggling like a schoolgirl, in fact.

"Ms. Carter...?" Either Carter hadn't heard, or she was ignoring Rice. And Rice hated to be ignored.

"Ms. Carter. _Vicky!_" Carter hated to be called that, and Rice would be lucky to escape without damage.

"Uhmmm...uh...huh? Yes, dear, did you say something?"

"Yes, Ms. Carter. You seem...well...are you all right?"

"Oh, yesss, I am. Just feeling...reminiscent. You are dismissed for the day." Carter's tone was too sweet. It alarmed Rice; while Carter never truly yelled at her, she usually saved the maple-syrupy voice for when she had some nasty job, or was tormenting Erik. Mostly it was used in front of him...only for his ears...

"I said you are dismissed. Unless you want to help Erik-poo?"

"Yes, ma'am! I'll just gather up--"

"No. Go; I'll take care of it." Carter rose and opened the door. Rice, bewildered, could do nothing but obey.

Walking down the hall, she passed a tall, well-build human. Even for Rice's tastes he was, in a word, incredible. She could swear she saw his eyes change color as he looked at her, melting from brown into yellow...

At the same time, Carter stood in her office surveying her "toy" Boomers. She _was_ in the mood, but for once didn't want a single one of them. On top of that, none of the new interns seemed to strike her fancy. For some reason she felt disgusted by the whole lot of her playthings.

She headed for the doorway, wondering where her secretary had gone, then opened the door.

He was incredible - more handsome than she'd remembered...

"Lord Vladimir!" she whispered breathlessly.

"My dear, sweet Victoria... I am no longer the lord I once was." He took her hand and kissed it. "I have fallen into disfavor with our king."

Carter giggled like a schoolgirl again. "Oh, and what brings you to my kingdom?" The game, their little lovers' game from so long ago...

How easily she'd slipped back into it...

"You have, my dear. I have come back to claim my queen." Her heart skipped a beat...then another.

"I...I've changed, my lord...my kingdom is far greater than it once was. What do I need of you?" She nearly ran to the desk, desperate to wrest control of the situation from him, and sat down. "Why are you here?"

"I...came for you..."

"_And!_" she cried.

"I need your kind and gracious help."

"Ohhhh...and you think you can walk back--" He'd gotten to the desk by then, and he touched her. A fiery bolt shot through her. _Must be some form of Boomer syndrome..._

"Yes, I have fallen into disfavor and lost my lab."

"I won't fund a new one. Genom wants nothing more to do with you."

"No, no, not Genom! Just you...you know what my needs are, and you own this city. Beloved, if anything...help me find a new lab."

"And what do I get out of it?"

"A new Boomer technology: one that will make them go rogue on command. And an advancement in replacement parts, one that would make your...play toy...more like the real thing."

"What?"

"I've found notes on a way to fill in the gap between Boomer and human, that ten percent can now be only one...and with a new lab, we can remake the world to fit Quincy's will."

"I see...and I would receive this new technology from you at what time?"

"Please, beloved! Let's not talk of this now. I've missed you...

"And I want to see if you've missed me." He pulled her from the chair with fluid grace. Before she could stop him, his lips had met hers and the warmth at her side spread throughout her body.

Rice disengaged her link to the security system. Whoever this man was, he was a danger to Carter. She had to find a way to stop him...and to keep her mistress from falling further into this insanity...

///

Erik felt like a fool. And justly so. He'd had no confirmation from the Drake's staff that his little surprise was going as planned, and he had to assume that meant Hase had already found it. She wouldn't fly into a rage, or kill him - that wasn't her style - but he knew well the flatter tone and narrowed eyes of her disapproval...had seen it directed at others...

_I need her support, and her trust. Oh, God, how I need her trust..._

A bottle of "adequate" Piesporter dangling from one hand, he finally arrived at her room. No more waiting, at least.

The door swung open to reveal a woman of only average height but commanding presence. Hase Kant stared up at him with dull, inhuman eyes, saying nothing. She closed her left hand around the neck of the bottle, trapping his own hand in the process, and led him inside.

_Well, yes, she _wouldn't_ say anything yet...no matter what she's found...there could be bugs out there in the hall. But I'm sure she's taken care of any she found in the room._ Not that there would be many; he'd had his Boomers search it already, leaving just enough to satisfy her paranoia but not enough to make her suspect him.

Unless she already did. "So, Erik. Are the metal birds keeping you awake at night?" Her mouth twisted oddly around the words, legacy of a stunner blast that had hit too hard and paralyzed a few nerves.

"Not quite yet, no. How are things back home?"

"Well as can be imagined. I'm sure your reports are no more complete than mine. It would appear than Lissa Dearest wants that chunk of Thüringen back that the Western Army got from her during our mountain vacation."

"Hm." One corner of his mouth tugged upward a bit. "She can go to hell first, and I'm sure that's what the Bundestag told her. What about Antarctica?"

Not letting go of his arm - or the bottle - she led him to the couch and sat down. "Do you want to know how we are doing, or how _We _are doing?"

The change in inflection was quite familiar. He smiled. "I have fairly complete reports on Genom _and_ West Germany; how about a breakdown on the Easterners? My network over there still has holes in it."

"Same as last month. Gaining a little ground from the Belgians, but the Canadians are continuing to pummel them."

"Good." He made a move to set the bottle down on the coffee table, and she let go. Her eyes remained squarely on his, however, and as dead and expressionless as before.

She switched from English to German. "So what is it you're thinking about, Erik?" _Can't bring up any real business yet, especially not with that embarrassing...mistake...to conceal. Better to let him talk for a while._

"Well, Bunny, I was hoping to surprise you but I suspect you've already found me out."

"Oh?"

He looked her in the eye, then glanced ever so slightly away. "Didn't bring Hack and Slash?"

Her lips pursed. "My Boomers are running an errand. I trust I don't need them..."

"No," he cut her off, smiling. "You don't."

Perfectly on cue, a second Erik entered the room. Hase stared at the Replicant, her eyes widening and her lips parting ever so slightly. She glanced back at Erik, then at the Boomer again. The first Erik - the human one, she assumed - clasped her hand and pulled her closer gently, pressing his lips to hers, as the other knelt before her and began removing her blouse.

///

_Monday evening._

It was perhaps a quarter to seven, and the base had fallen quiet. Jinks was still confined to medbay, Belladonna was out with friends, and most of the others were occupied by work. 

Harris sat in his room resting when he heard a knock at the door. A few beats later it came again, a bit more forcefully.

"Come in."

Saki entered, wearing a mandarin-cut, jade green dress. Her hair was pulled up and adorned with a pale green flower. "Good evening!"

"Hello..."

She looked at him; there was a polite smile on her face but her eyes seemed to say something entirely different. "Are you ready to go?"

Harris pulled himself up, throwing his coat on. He had his guns already, actually did sleep with them. "Yeah."

"Good. I know this great Thai restaurant, near the lake..."

"All right..."

She held out her arm and seemed to wait for something. 

Sighing, Harris took by the arm. "Shall we?"

"By all means, Harris. Let's go."

There was a Benz all warmed up and waiting for them at the motorpool. Saki picked up the hem of her dress and headed for the driver's side.

Harris held the door open for her. "Thank you." She bowed slightly, and ducked under the gull-wing doors. As soon as he was inside she took off, the abrupt start reminding him of their meeting a week earlier.

"Would you like to listen to some music?"

"No, thank you."

She nodded gracefully and continued: "How was last night's mission?"

"All right."

"Mmm, from the way Crimson acted it had to be more than just _all right_." A tiny smile seemed to form on her lips. "And I noticed that we ran out of Mountain Dew...which means Ms. Kohl had a few too many."

"Ah well..."

They passed into the outer rim of the downtown area. "Is there any connection yet between the Boomers and the battlesuits?"

"You'll have to ask Crim. I just follow orders."

"But you have a mind... Surely not all orders are to your liking?" She thought of the punishment Crimson had assigned and fought back a grimace.

"I do what I'm paid to do."

"I see." She grinned slyly. "Are all of your talents for sale?"

"At the right price...but you must speak with Crimson; he _is_ my current employer."

"And how much would one have to pay if one had to top our fair employer?"

"Triple, at least."

"How does quadruple sound...plus bonuses?" She pulled up toward two bronze dragons, which loomed over either side of the car. A man in a kimono stood off to one side.

"And what would I be doing?"

"I would have many things for you to do," she evaded, "As well as still being open to Crimson's needs."

"A tempting offer..." The man walked up to the car and opened the doors.

"I assure you, I can make it much more tempting."

"If you're serious, list what you want me to do and give it to me...and I'll consider it."

She stepped out of the car, straightened her dress. Then she handed him a palm pilot. He pocketed it for the time being and reluctantly took her arm again. She placed her other hand on his arm and led him up the stairs to the restaurant.

The table was on a balcony overlooking the main room, with a waterfall running down behind it, and the menu, seven pages long, was printed in Thai. The only thing Harris could decipher was the prices, which were astronomically high. 

He shook his head and handed the menu to Saki. "Do you have a favorite dish?" she asked.

"Nope."

"Then would you trust me to order for you?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Would you like anything to drink?"

"Sure. Water will do."

The waited returned and she spoke swiftly to him. He scooped up the menus and left again.

Saki turned back to Harris. "I love it here; it reminds me of my family home. ...Where did you grow up?"

"Grow up?" He seemed shocked.

The waiter appeared next to him again with a teapot and a glass of water, which he set down before inobtrusively fading back into the background.

"Yes, where your family is from," Saki continued.

"Michigan."

"What was it like there?"

"Eh...let's not talk about that."

"Then what shall we talk about?" He felt the rounded tip of a high heel running up and down his leg. "I don't think you'd want to discuss world politics, hm?"

He gently pushed her foot away. "I don't know... You, maybe?"

"And what could I tell you about me?"

"Whatever you want."

"Well...that would make it harder."

"Oh?"

"I have been many things...none of which should be discussed in polite company. As of now, I am vice-president of an emerging company. I work out and run five miles every day. I...have been lucky enough to have met Crimson...

"I enjoy antique weapons and have a vast collection. My earliest spear dates back to 765BC. I also have two museums, to which I've donated some of my lesser weapons."

"Indeed. You have an active life."

"No, not as much as one would think - and not nearly as much as I'd like..."

"Seems active enough to me."

"But I could be so much more active..." The food arrived just then, and she fell silent.

Most of it looked edible: fish, meat, rice, potstickers, steamed vegetables...some kind of dumplings, egg rolls... Saki named each and told him what was in them. "Well? Are you going to try some?"

Harris suddenly felt as if he were being watched. He turned instinctively, one hand reaching for a gun inside his coat. Saki froze, her expression going warmly blank.

Victoria Carter stood behind Harris, a tall man at her side. "Ms. Veldez. How nice to see you."

"A pleasure, Ms. Carter."

Harris turned around again, looking at Saki. He still had one hand on the gun. She shot him a warning glance.

"It's been far too long."

"Yes, two months, I believe? It was the merger of Greenco."

Harris shook his head, pulling out a handkerchief which had been tucked behind the gun. He used it, then placed it back inside his coat, without saying a word. 

"Yes, yes it was! How is Ms. Johnson doing of late?"

"Well, and very much looking forward to next month's buy-out of Genom."

Carter laughed and turned to Harris. "She has such a good sense of humor! ...And who is your companion here?"

"An old friend." She gave a false name. He stared at Carter warily.

"Well, it is so nice to meet you..." The man standing next to her whispered something in her ear. "Oh, but I won't keep you any longer. Have a good night!"

"The pleasure is all mine," Harris replied.

Saki's gaze never left Carter as the two disappeared. She picked up a knife, and balanced it in her hand. "I'm sorry. It seems I'm no longer hungry. Would you mind if we were to go back home?"

"No, it's okay. Let's go."

She motioned to a waiter for carryout, then they left. The ride back to the base was completely silent.

///

"...Yeah, so did you hear about Harris and Saki? Word is they went out for dinner tonight!"

Shaine stiffened, and looked blankly at Belladonna. "Oh. Really?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't know those two were..." She trailed off. _All of those things I said to him, and he...and she..._

_Ohhhh, shit._

"Yeah, seems Carter saw her and came by. And Saki's freaked by the way Carter kills all of Mom's boyfriends..."

"Oh."

"It's not much of a thing, if that's what you mean."

"I...see. I didn't think so; they never really seemed that way around each other."

"I don't think he likes her all that much. But she might... You know, she's never really had a boyfriend. See, from the age of five she was trained to be a killing machine, so boys were just like...well...targets. So I guess that's why she finds Harris so...whatever...'

"Yeah. Guess so." Shaine shrugged, and ripped open the case of Dew she'd bought on her way home from Starbright.

"Maybe she thinks he'll understand her." Bell shook her head. "So...should I dye my hair red?"

Shaine looked up in surprise. "Huh?"

"Well, I was thinking of dying my hair."

"Well...I don't know. I'm not exactly a fashion expert, Bell."

"Mom wouldn't let me, but she would at least tell me if it was a good idea. C'mon, one woman to another!"

Shaine squinted, staring at her. "You know, I really don't think I could see that..."

"Whaddaya think? Pink, turning to red? No, huh?"

"Just can't imagine it on you." 

"Okay. Soooo...do _you_ like Harris?"

"_Huh?_ What are you talking about? He's tried to shoot me at least four times!"

"Come on, the way you reacted when I mentioned him and Miss Xena... Besides, he's tried that with everyone but Crimson. I don't think he's _that_ nuts."

She smiled devilishly. "But...it may be a sign he likes you..."

"Oh, come on!"

"...After all, he came to _your_ room, not Saki's..."

"He threw me down on the ground and unloaded a clip of blanks at my head. You call that love?"

"Well no, but he might!"

Shaine shook her head and took a sip of Dew.

"Or at least to, you know, show you he's the big dominant male and all..."

"I don't play that kind of game, Bell."

"Well all I'm saying is he seems to like you; it's just he doesn't know how to act. So he starts with this commando Army macho role thing where he has to be in charge, all the time..."

"Yeah, well, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't mention that to _him_."

"Not a word! I need my pretty little head _right_ where it is."

Shaine rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Bell."

"No problem! Hey...I know, let's go get some ice cream!"

"Okay."

"Cooool. Haagen-Dasz or Ben and Jerry's?"

"Oh, man...um...both?"

"Both? Did you say both?"

"Yes..."

"A girl after my own heart! Come on!"

She led Shaine to the motorpool and selected an Explorer. "Where to first, Hog or T&J?"

Shaine shook her head. "Don't make me choose..."

"Okay. Heads Hog, tails T&J..." She fished a quarter out of one pocked and flipped it. "Heads. Let's go...Pfish Food here I come!" She grinned sheepishly. "Hey, 'hand-dipped ice cream here I come' just doesn't sound right..."

"Yeah..."

It was a short drive, and soon Bell was forcing Shaine to pick out flavors. "C'mooon!"

_Let's see...chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, mint, chocolate...hell, doesn't make much of a difference!_

She sighed. "Well...just give me whatever's got the most chocolate."

"Whoah...triple chocolate?"

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?"

"No, no! Just we need more then. Chocolate will attract the birds."

"Oh." Shaine stopped, then grinned.

"Hey, think about it! Three men...five women...do you dare think in small terms? Even Miss Xena eats a gallon on her best nights.

"Of course, then she beats up on the male gender...but that's another story."

"I'm sure Harris must love that," Shaine murmured.

"Don't know. Want me to ask?"

Shaine glared at Belladonna sharply, and she responded with her best 'don't kill me, I'm young' smile.

Bell paid for the ice cream - using Crimson's credit card - and headed back to the truck. "You know, I could be wrong but...what if he doesn't really like her?"

Shaine shrugged. "Not gonna lose any sleep over it."

"Come on! You like him, don't you?"

"Unless they start a shootout in the Nest, I don't care what they do."

"Oh, _that_ would be fun. An all out war...guntoting madmen and Amazon nutcases in a firefight..."

Shaine stared out of the window blankly.

"That's just great...make me start a firefight...I'd be grounded for _years!_" Just then they pulled up in front of the Ben and Jerry's.

"_Phish Food!_ ...And other fine flavors of chocolate..." Bell leapt out, ran into the store, and began ordering large amounts of ice cream.

"Hey...make sure you pick up a few Bovinity Divinity..."

"Yeah, some of that! And whatever you have in cookie dough. Tonight the pack will be well fed..."

Shaine wisely decided not to ask. _Mechanical birds who watch television and eat ice cream...?_

After one more stop to pick up toppings, they headed back to the base. Belladonna led Shaine back to the kitchen.

She put her finger to her mouth and opened a pint. Shaine, meanwhile, already had a triple chocolate open and was diving into it, not even bothering with a bowl.

Bell plaed a spoon on the table, then showed Shaine her watch and held out one hand, five fingers extended. Shaine looked up from the ice cream curiously.

About four minutes later, Lark walked in. "Oh, ice cream!"

Sprocket came running. "Did someone say ice cream?"

Shaine's stomach gurgled. _Shit...I did not want this to be a public event...wonder if they'd just let me drag some of this back to my room?_

"Hold me back...I don't..."

Bell shoved a pint in Sprocket's face. "Become one with the Dark Side!"

"Okay...gimme!"

"Um, Bell? I think I'm just going to take some of this back to my room." She started to get up.

"You'll never make it...at least not alive!"

"Huh?"

"She's joking. She trained her raven to steal food from anything that moves."

Bell punched Lark in the shoulder. "Hey! Croft doesn't steal, he _hunts_."

At the sound of his name, the raven flapped into the room and landed on Bell's shoulder.

"Well..."

"Caw, caw! _Caw!_"

"Um, you were saying...?" Belladonna held Ravencroft's beak closed. Shaine sat back down slowly and started eating again.

"Hey, um...Jinks is doing better. Branks says she'll be up in a few days, hopefully."

"That's good..."

"Well, she's been stressed lately, with everything that's been going on..."

Bell gave Lark a forceful look. "She'll be fine. I mean, Crim's got the best health care for us..." She played with her spoon.

"Yeah..."

"So what have you and Mitch been working on, Shaine?"

"Me and Mitch? You mean, together?"

Lark and Sprocket looked at each other. _Oh, crap...is she _trying_ to get me shot?_

"Yeah...that chip thing with the rogue Boomer? Didn't Crimson have you trying to figure that out?"

"Well, I don't know what Mitch is doing, but I'm still working on cracking the last few bits of it... I haven't had much time between work and, well...work..."

"What kind of code?" Lark asked.

"It overrides a Boomer's programming."

"Yeah, I heard Crim say something about that while he was helping the doc with Amster."

"That's what made the police Boomer steal the K-suit. It just made it go crazy...steal things..."

"Oh. What, you can do that with just a code?"

_What a hardware jock! I bet she thinks you can fix software with hardware, too..._ "Well...it's all code at the bottom of it. Can't do much with just hardware."

"Aren't there backups or something?"

"This bypasses the backup."

"Ouch. ...Can I get one? One of my profs is a Boomer."

"They're all Boomers."

"Hehe, yeah, but how many actually come with 'Genom' stamped on their rears? She's a K-7, mannequin Boomer... I've never tried hacking in on her..." But her face told a different story.

"Enh...I wouldn't suggest it, going at a hardware-driven system like that. Either you have to direct connect, or you have to leave some sort of physical trace... I prefer clean software hacks. Network runs."

"Laser. Tightbeam to their interface..."

"Oh...yeah. There's that. I just never really got into it. If I wanted to get into a Boomer's code all I had to do was ask." She shrugged.

"Bell, if I get called in to your school for that, I'm going to kick you!" Lark shot a glance at Shaine. "Please don't teach her that... Don't even tell her that; outside of the Ravens, our Miss Belladonna is the principal's pet - for trouble."

"Don't worry. Sucking up to Uncle isn't high on my list of desirable skills..."

"I can see why," Bell said unhelpfully.

Shaine winced. "Yeah."

"Kind of like my dad... He was really scum, and still is. Only with Erik, he seems all evil, when you see what he's done..."

"Bell, drop it, okay?" Sprocket glared at her.

Just then, Saki came in and looked at the ice cream. Shaine looked up nervously, just in time to see her walk out.

"Oh, someone's pissed!"

"Yeah..."

"BELL!" Lark and Sprocket thundered.

"Hey, when has Miss Xena turned down ice cream and gossip?? ...Okay, maybe she does always turn down the gossip, but still..."

Shaine shook her head and set her spoon down. "I'd better get going, you guys. Have to get up for work tomorrow, and there's still that code to finish."

"Okay..."

"Guess I'll see you later."

"Don't work too hard!" Lark called after her, just as Sprocket moaned, "Ugggh...I have class tomorrow!"

Shaine found her raven sitting on the couch watching "Zorak's Lone Talk Show of the Apocalypse and Armageddon Musical Revue."

"Greetings, Citizens! I am Space Ghost. Welcome to my show!" _Oh, it's a classic...first episode, I think?_

Zorak glared at Space Ghost with his typical weary gaze, insectoid eyes narrowed derisively. "This isn't your show, Space Ghost."

Space Ghost shot Zorak with his powerbands. The raven's caws sounded almost like triumphant laughter as the camera changed to a shot of a very crispy Zorak.

Shaine closed the door and walked past Morrigan to the bedroom. "Just remember who's got the Orkin Man on speed dial!"

"Araw?" Morrigan flapped over to Shaine and sat down next to her on the bed, grooming her feathers.

_Well, there's something. At least I'll never be alone around here._

///

Hase almost smiled as she set her Kalashnikov down on the dresser. _Well, that was satisfactory. No runaway N-6 to show yet, but I think I can keep Herr Erik from discovering that just yet..._

Erik looked up from his channel surfing. "Good hunt?"

"Yes. Your city is a welcome diversion. It leveled the playing field a bit, not quite knowing my way around." She sat down on the bed next to him. "Anything on?"

"No, not much. There's a Bond flick, I think..."

"Hnh. Escapist drama...I think we're already past that...?"

"Well, yes. But it's either that or the noise they call music in these parts."

Hase plucked the remote out of his hand and turned the television off. "Or we could entertain ourselves the old-fashioned way. Tell me about these Steel Ravens of yours."

"Well...they've been picking up recruitment, it looks like. There are at least three new ones, a shorter female and two tall men, and when they intercepted the shipment of Dobermans I saw a few that haven't been active lately."

"Hmmm...you're sure there are two men? And the woman isn't one of the two younger girls?"

"No, both of the girls were accounted for already and the two men have very different styles. One uses some sort of laser claws and a brutal style; the other seems better trained. Professional, maybe military or Majestic 13."

"Mph. So what do you think of this?"

"It's only predictable...after all, we project they lost half of their team in the last sat strike."

"An unexpected bonus, hm?"

"Well, yes." He smiled. "And as for the individuals in question, I think only one of the men will pose any threat. The other's too aggressive, doubt he'll last long."

"And the woman?"

"Ah...now there's another thing." The smile went false, forced. "I don't think she'll last long, either..."

"But you want her to."

"She's the perfect candidate. Seems to be in charge of communications, and her fighting skills are still weak. She hesitates. We could pick her up easily in the middle of an ambush..."

"Not to mention the fact that you're thinking of adding a real flesh-and-blood to your, ah, collection?"

"I was." He glanced at her darkly. "We've gotten a few of their transmissions decrypted...garbled, can't make out distinct voices...but it's clear she hates Genom with a passion. I wouldn't feel safe near her."

Hase leaned in. "So what do you plan to do?" 

_Hm...maybe I can use this to my advantage. She hasn't seemed this excited about nearly anything since that one N-6 prototype went rogue right in the lab... _"What I'd like..." He closed his eyes. "To break her. To be the center of her universe, and then destroy her while she's still wondering what she did to displease me." 

_Enough of that, then!..._ "So why exactly is it you're here? I know it's not just to drop off those new Boomers."

She sat back a bit. To any outside observer she would have seemed deep in thought, but Erik knew that the expression - or lack thereof - could mean any one of a dozen things. Fear, anger, envy...

"I have a problem, Herr Erik, and I think you might have the solution."

"Oh?"

She swallowed. "There's a group of schoolgirls...they seem to be following in your Ravens' footsteps."

_What is she so afraid of...?_

"They call themselves the Moonlight Knights. And their leader is 'Sailor Moon.' "

Erik suddenly found the tip of Hase's nose absolutely enthralling. _Anything but look into her eyes. I must not laugh, I must not laugh..._

"Do you think...they meant it as a slight against you?"

"They call me Wicked Lady. And preface every attack with a sermon about the evils of Genom."

"Well. May I at least hope that they are not as well trained or equipped as the Ravens?"

"It would appear so." Hase looked down, frustration beginning to show upon her face. "They want to fight, but have no idea of how."

Her jaw clenched and she muttered, "I'd like to teach them how..."

"From the other end of an assault rifle? I know the feeling." Her head flew up, but he wasn't looking at her anymore. "Send a few of your Replicants after them; if they're untrained schoolgirls they shouldn't stand a chance."

She nodded. "I was planning to. But I'm not sure if our Mr. Mason would be inclined to investigate such a thing. After all, we don't want him knowing just how much information we still share. We're meant to be in competition, to wear each other down so that we don't pose any threats to him.

"Or to Shoham..."


	8. Disciplined Breakdown

Disciplined Breakdown

Disciplined Breakdown  
_By Harris, Mitch, Shaine, and Shatterclaw. Individual rating: PG._

_Damn it...why did I ever agree to do this?_ Shaine fought her way past a sea of rugrats with Technicolor hair. Bell's successors-in-training, it would seem. They'd turned the mall into a living labyrinth.

She wrinkled up her nose as she made her way toward the comic shop. Omar and the rest were there; she could already see them.

_Just a few more feet...damn it..._ Shaine dismissed a daydream about what a wonderful world it would be if only she had a time machine and a box of condoms, concentrating instead on the dark-clad group. Poe saw her and waved her forward, clearing a path for her.

"Hi."

"Hey there!" Omar grinned.

"Dark tidings," Deis smiled.

Shaine smiled a little and nodded. "LL and P." Poe offered a Vulcan salute, which she nervously returned. _So what the hell do I say to them? They're worse than those scum Val used to hang out with..._

Fortunately she didn't have to think about it for too long. Omar handed her a bag; she thanked him and hurriedly dug in her pocket for the money. Coming up with a small wad of fives, she handed it to him.

"Thanks. Hey, where's your friend Han?"

"He's at work." She winced. "He's one of those suit types, y'know?"

"Bummer. He seems too cool for that."

"Yeah, I know..."

Poe held up one of the shirts. There was a black figure in the center with red and yellow wings flaming out of its back. "Whaddaya think? It's the new design. Only made ten of 'em so far."

"Yeah, we think that's what they look like," Mav said.

"We have two of them for you. One for you, one for Han...for the ride, last time." Omar smiled at her.

"Oh...thank you..." _They're too nice. I shouldn't have to do this!_

"You're welcome!"

"Um...you know last time, how I was telling you about Val...? Well, I kind of lost track of him, but if you want his cell phone number..." _And then I can "bump into" him next time Crim sends me to play spy. Convenient - if not what's best for them..._

"Sure. You think he'd do an interview?"

"I don't know..." She handed a piece of paper to Omar. "Tell him Scully sent you."

"Thanks. Hey, walk with us out of here?"

"Okay..."

Poe looked at her curiously. "I thought you were Mulder."

"Well, no. This goes back further than Han has known me, and he's not on very good terms with Val to begin with."

Omar grabbed his things from beneath the table and shoved the leftover shirts into a black bag.

"Well I can't say I blame him," Poe continued. "As far as I know of, only two kinds of people have seen an ebony knight of the sky: the victim who was saved, and the crook who was trying to rob him."

"Val's not a thief!"

"No, maybe not...but he's not the best kind of person, I'm betting."

Shaine stubbornly refused to say anything.

"I'm sorry if I offended you and your friend..."

"He didn't mean any harm, Scully."

"Yeah. I know."

"Heyy!" Omar's face lit up. "Want to see a place where we think the Ravens fought?"

"All right."

"Cool!" Omar flagged down a cab and they piled inside.

"Made a bundle on shirts today," he mused as they headed downtown, near the trench that ran out to O'Hare. Once the cab stopped, Omar pulled out a flashlight.

_Aw, _shit!_ I know where we are... _Her stomach began to ache as she stared down the very familiar street.

"We found this one night when we were at Chi req...see, the Bruha and the Gangrel had a base out here. So when we were in time stop, I went looking around."

"Huh?"

"Oh. Sorry. It's a game - you dress up and pretend to be a vampire."

"Oh. Okaaayy..."

"There's a huge underground," he assured her. "Anyway, down here is where we found it." He and Mav led her down a ladder into the trench while Deis and Poe stayed above.

The floor was littered with refuse, and Shaine didn't much like the looks of the cave that they were headed toward. "See the black scoring here? Seems to be a heat-based weapon."

"Yeah." _Oh shit oh shit ohshitohshit..._

"And you can see where the ground is melted! Oh, and this is so sweet..." He gestured toward a pile of rocks. "This is Excalibur."

Kicking the rocks away, he revealed a larger stone in which was embedded the blade of a sword. Its hilt stood straight above the rubble. "We think this might be one of their weapons. See, it's melted into the rock but the sword looks like it hasn't been hurt."

Omar shone the flashlight on it. "And none of us can pull it out. So whoever put this here must've meant it as a test."

"Yeah."

"Cool, huh? To think we might've found a weapon they used to defend the city..."

_Against what? Sir Mordred on his black horse? This is fucking pathetic!_

"Well, we'd better get going. Trenchers don't like too many people after dark."

"Trenchers?"

"Yeah, there's still people that live down here. They're kinda overprotective of it...it's their home. They don't have the money to move into Genom-controlled places, and they can't move away from the city. So most of them have jobs in the undercity or the trench." He frowned. "Funny...I wonder if the Ravens live here."

Shaine shivered uncontrollably.

"I always assumed they had, like, the Batcave or something. But they could be here _right now_, watching us..." he said as he climbed back up the ladder.

As Shaine reached the top she saw Poe and Deis talking to a beggar. Omar looked back at her and winked, then walked over to the others, handed the beggar a pair of crumpled five dollar bills, and patted him on the back.

"Noble deed," Poe said, arching a brow. "But do we have enough coin of the realm to make our way home?"

"Yeah, plus we still have to pay for the new round of shirts!"

Omar just smiled, then related his new theory to them. "So you see...it could have been one of them."

"A wondrous idea," Poe breathed, "But not at all impossible."

"_I_ like the one where they're angels sent down to prepare the way."

"What do you think, Scully?"

"Huh? Uhm...uh...I don't know..."

"Yes, it is overwhelming..." Poe said in a 'tree pretty, fire bad' sort of way.

"No more Buffy reruns for you, Poe!"

"Dark Shadows?" Poe begged.

"No."

_I think the sci-fi police need to pay these two a visit..._

Deis looked at Shaine. "Oh, no, they would take them away and lock them up!"

Shaine looked up at her blankly. Omar looked too, then kissed Deis and said, "Let's get going."

Poe leaned toward Shaine and whispered, "She does that sometimes."

_Aw, fuck...what is going _on_?_

///

Shaine was still dazed when she arrived back at the Nest, last to arrive for the briefing. As she tore into the room, Crimson was already beginning the briefing.

"Oliver has a background in electronic warfare and ECM devices. He's ex-military, with a shady background before his work with the ADP. So far his record's been clean, though. He's been buying land at an alarming rate...

"You already know about the chip, and the MO. As for our ADP friends from your last mission, they were set free. They blamed it all on a handful of rogue Boomers that had trapped them in the building. Luckily for us, their story doesn't hold water.

"Our Mr. Oliver also owns that building. I've been following his paper trail and tonight I want you to investigate another of his acquisitions. Saki will be going along as backup. If you can get your hands on Oliver, I want him knocked out and brought back alive. Understood?"

"Yeah," Shaine said. _...but...Saki?_

"No problem."

Harris took a bite of an apple. _Food? I missed food to play with some vampire wannabes? Does this have _any_ silver lining at all? _"Alive...ok..."

"That means not in plastic baggies, Harris." Shaine smiled darkly. Mitch grinned at that.

"Or in small bloody parts," Crimson added.

"How about large pieces?"

Saki walked to the front of the room. "One piece would be preferred."

"All right...so I put him back together when I'm done. Tape, or glue?"

"We can only get the information out of him if he is alive," Saki said sternly. Harris took another bite of the apple. "So whole. Suit up; we have little time as it is."

The Nestlings left; as Mitch was climbing into his suit Harris tossed the core of his apple inside. Mitch heard the _thunk_ as it hit and fished it out, muttering, "Punk..."

_Punk, hm? I'll have to remember you said that..._ Harris smiled grimly as he finished closing the seals on his helmet and followed Mitch out to the Wing.

///

"We will disembark in this order," Saki declared. "Snakebite, Wolverine, myself, then Freefall."

Shaine frowned. _Last? And next to her, on top of it? Shit, this day can't get worse... _She could see Mitch tensing up, too...he probably didn't trust her either.

"Snakebite will secure the perimeter and set cover fire; Wolverine will also set cover fire and Freefall will cover communications. Understood?" 

"Yeah." _I understand that there's only one other person to set cover fire _for...

"And what are you going to do?" Harris asked.

"Keep you alive." _If you don't get me killed first!_

Shaine shook her head. _Not going to worry about it._ She began idly humming the love theme from _Blade Runner._

Harris started running through a weapons check, then heard the humming over the comm. He turned to her, but she was looking in the other direction. The back door of the Wing opened, and she stopped.

"Go, go, go!" Harris shook his head and walked to the door, launching himself outward. The others followed. Beneath them was a vast asphault parking lot, and an even more immense warehouse.

Saki scanned the area as they landed, cloaked. "Move toward the factory. Freefall, scan the building."

"Five to ten humans, some heavy trucks...shitload of static..."

"Jammers?"

"Yeah, maybe. Can't tell."

Saki turned to Mitch. "Wolverine, would you open the door for us?"

"No prob." He sliced through the door easily. It was old, maybe pushing fifty, and made of steel, and gave way leaving white trails of hot metal where the lock and hinges were. Mitch turned around once he was done, keeping Saki and Harris in his sights.

"Snakebite first. Wolverine, you bring up the rear." Saki tapped Shaine on the shoulder. "Keep scanning and follow Snake."

Harris stepped forward slowly, laser sword engaged, as he readied his laser rifle. It was an open walkway, with pipes running overhead. He killed his sensors for the moment, not trusting them, and began relying on his instincts. _Right or left? ...Right._ He turned down the hall; Shaine and Saki followed. Mitch lingered at the intersection, then began to examine the left hallway.

There was a loud _bang_ing noise coming from the right hallway. Harris listened to it carefully as he followed the hallway. The sound issued from a door five feet down, through which he could see six ADP officers working on an APC. They seemed to be modifying it to hold something.

"There are six men up here. Orders?" There was a large tank turret hanging above the APC. _Looks like they're trying to get that thing attached to it..._

"Freefall, record this. And Wolverine, make two cuts along this wall." Mitch turned around and walked into the room; she gestured where she wanted him to make the marks.

"My orders, Saki?"

"Proceed. We'll deal with them later."

He shook his head. _I'm getting tired of this..._

The hallway went on for another fifteen feet, then opened up into the back of the warehouse. Inside was a group of maybe fifty men, dressed in black tac armor as the Boomer hijackers had been. A man on a makeshift stage was making a speech, and the rest sat there rapt, listening to him.

"And we shall take back the streets; we will show those Boomers who is the rightful master race!" Oliver cried.

"You listening to this, Saki?"

"Yes..."

Further back, Mitch said, "Report! Five guards are headed this way."

"Freefall, record. Snakebite, enter. Wolverine...do not engage them. Yet."

"Your orders, Saki?"

"Spread out along the door. Wolverine will make for the speaker; you will give cover. Freefall, with me."

"So be it." Harris sighed. "Your show, Mitch."

Saki opened a private comm to Shaine. "When I give the signal, I want you to start knocking them out of their chairs. Understood?"

"Yes."

She moved toward the center of the room, with Shaine following. Harris scanned the room for a more advantageous position, then disengaged his sword, bringing up his second laser instead. 

"Now!" Saki called out as Mitch reached the platform. He jumped up onto it, firing a low level laser burst at Oliver.

At the same time, Saki and Shaine were kicking the audience out of their chairs as quickly as possible. 

"Aw, shit," Harris muttered, firing several laser bursts just above the crowd's heads. Mitch, struggling with Oliver, started heading toward a nearby exit. He shot Oliver with the laser again. 

Harris disengaged his cloak and continued firing as Saki aimed at the overhead pipes. "Run!"

Shaine stumbled after Saki and out the door. 

_Can't leave yet, damn it! Who's going to keep these idiots occupied?_ The men in the audience were rushing Harris, now that they'd gotten over the initial shock. He held his ground.

Outside, four K-11's had spotted Mitch and Oliver. "What's the plan now?"

"Keep them occupied. Shaine and I will get Oliver out of here."

"Gotcha!" He passed Oliver's limp form to Saki, then began firing on the K-11's. The closest two were attacking already; he dodged them and counterattacked. One managed to hit Saki, who was swearing up a blue streak. "Darn! Sorry, girls, but I have my hands full..."

Meanwhile, the men inside had managed to get some anti-Boomer weapons. Harris narrowly evaded a rocket fired from a launcher, then returned fire. But just as quickly as the officer with the rocket launcher had fallen, one with a saw gun had taken his place.

_I don't want to do this...but no choice, really._ He dove to his left and opened fire directly upon the main mass of the ADP, starting with the one who had just fired at him.

And missed. His opponent was luckier; he felt two shots hit as he fell. His HUD was reading an armor breach in one leg; it seemed to be just a flesh wound.

He didn't care. Wincing in pain, he fired again and engaged his sniper rifle, firing into the crowd at random and hitting most of his targets.

A low rumbling came from the back wall. _Aw, damn. Rocket._

_What the hell is up? _Harris managed to get to his feet then move forward, still shooting. 

_Oh. That is._ His answer came in the form of a tank which rammed through the back wall. He shifted his aim almost reflexively, taking out the turret and driver. It rolled to the right and rammed into another wall, reducing it to rubble.

Harris followed the tank outside. _Dammit, got to take this thing down _now_. _It slowed and stopped, then the weapons magazine blew. He returned to the flaming wreck of the building, hoping for some sign of the rest of the team. Instead he found the ADP's reinforcements.

Harris engaged his cloak and opened fire again.

Meanwhile, Mitch had made fast work of the first two K-suits with his laser claws and was starting on the third. He sliced through its leg and it fell; the last of the four stepped forward to replace it and he cut off its arm. The arm flew through the air, hitting his suit, but did little damage. He finished off the suit, but three more had arrived to take its place.

_Oh, man!_ They were still close together, about five feet away and holding. He fired three grenades toward them and followed it up with a spread from his railgun. It barely even dented the suits. News helicopters were approaching, and by then he was outnumbered 16 to one. Harris shot down one of the helicopters just as Mitch saw the Raven's Wing appear out of nowhere.

"Where the fuck are the girls?" Rai called out over the comm. "Snakebite, Wolverine, come in! Do you read me?"

"I don't know, dammit!" Harris snapped. He started scanning for the other hardsuits.

"Saki? Freefall?"

"I'm here, Rai," Mitch said. "Last time I saw Saki and Shaine, they were headed home with the package."

"So what the fuck happened down there, World War Three?"

"Rai, I see them." Harris hit his jet verniers and maneuvered toward the pair. Shaine's forcefield was up, and Saki was halfway inside it. Neither one was moving.

"Snakebite!" Shaine dropped her shield. "Aw, fuck, where have you _been_?" Not waiting for him to answer, she let out a colorful string of German.

"Where the hell is Oliver?"

"Fucking asshole hit me with something...can't move; piece-of-shit suits won't budge..." Saki was still motionless, lying on the pavement before her. Mitch ran up to the group and started scanning them.

"Hey, getting something here! About fucking time..." Shaine started slowly pulling herself up to her knees.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, think so."

Mitch smiled. "Good. I was worried."

"No fucking shit, Sherlock. I was worried too."

"Aw, shit..." Harris fired a few more wide shots at the approaching ADP. "Can you walk?"

"Fuck no! Can't even move anymore..." Her left arm wobbled a bit, but the rest of the suit was dead.

Mitch bent down to grab Saki, and Harris took Shaine by the arm. "Then let's go." She wisely bit her tongue as he lifted her and carried her back to the Wing.

The ride out was rough, with the ADP still returning fire. Harris opened the back hangar door and began firing without particularly caring what it was tailing them; a news helicopter behind them exploded. The doors closed swiftly after that.

"Sorry, cowboy, but I need to head into the strat to lose these guys. Hang on."

He sat down and pulled his helmet off. Shaine and Saki lay on the floor of the Wing, stiff and unmoving. He'd set Shaine face down in an attempt to keep her quiet; the only sound was Saki's soft laughter.

Harris reached down to probe the wound in his leg. There was a dull pain, and blood seeping from the hole in the suit soon covered his hand. He shook his head, dismissing the thought for a moment. _Nothing I can do about it now._

Mitch turned Saki over. There was a boxlike device attached to the front of her hardsuit, its blinking lights garish against the soft black of the suit. "What's that?" He started pulling at it. Harris vaulted down toward Saki and helped him.

Just as they managed to rip it away from the suit, it began to whine. A two-digit clock on the front of it began counting down. "Shit...we shouldn't have done that..." Harris scowled. "Rai, open the back door, now!"

He ran toward the door, tossing the box outside as soon as it had opened. The counter was already into the single digits. A rush of air shoved the plane forward as it exploded.

"Snake!"

"Next time, pay attention, Mitch!" Harris stopped, seeing the second box on Shaine's suit. "Shit..."

"Shut up and help me!"

"Keep the door open, Rai!" Harris called out as he began pulling at the box.

"Shit, there's _more_?"

"Yes, dammit!" Another whine cut through the air, Harris tossed the box out of the Wing like the other one. Then he walked back to Mitch, who still knelt before the two suits.

"Any more surprises?"

"I hope not!" Mitch replied.

Saki stood suddenly, ripped off her helmet, and tossed it across the plane bay. She started stripping out of her suit, then lost patience with that and hit the ejection mechanism. Small pieces of the suit landed all over the bay, some hitting the other Ravens.

"What the hell?" Rai's voice called. Saki staggered into the cockpit. Harris shook his head and started removing his suit.

The Wing landed gently within the base's hangar. Harris examined his leg more closely as the back doors opened and Saki raced through them.

"Need help?" Rai looked at him, a first aid kit in one hand.

"No, I'm all right." He stood and sighed, thinking of the report he'd probably have to give to Crimson.

"Okay, suit yourself... Any idea what all of that was about?"

Harris winced slightly. "Eh...on second thought..."

"Thought so."

"Saki fucked up..." He sat back down.

"Fucked up? How?" Rai poured rubbing alcohol over the wound, handed Harris a bottle of whiskey, and bandaged his leg.

"The mission was a failure." He winced, but didn't cry out. "All we managed to do was kill a shitload of people."

"Oh, that's good!"

Mitch shook his head. "I need a beer. Correction: more than one."

"Yeah..."

"Drink the whiskey. Beer will come after the boss chews us out."

"Hey, there's something to look forward to!"

"Heh yeah...nice to know he can still do it though. Means you're still alive."

"Well," Harris sighed, "The news van and chopper we took out in the process aren't going to buy us any brownie points."

"News van?" Rai's head came up. "Oh, crap. Hope they didn't get any pictures."

Harris ignored him and stood. "Well, time to go get it over with..."

///

"You wanted to see me?"

Crimson nodded. "Have a seat."

Harris tried not to limp as he made his way toward the desk. "Shall I give my report?"

"Yes, please do."

"Well, then." He began describing the mission up to the point at which they captured Oliver. "So Mitch left with him, and Shaine and Saki followed suit. I stayed behind to keep everyone busy. From then on, I don't know what happened to the others. I was too busy holding off the ADP to notice."

"By keeping them busy you mean what?"

"They started firing back. I was shot twice, and I returned fire. No one was there to tell me what to do and I didn't want to die, so I shot to kill. I managed to take out a K-11 and a tank--"

"And a news van and five choppers," Crimson interrupted. "Go on."

"I took to the air after that and tried to find the others. Figured they were gone. I kept firing at the ADP trying to keep them away. Then Rai showed up and said Saki and Shaine were missing, so I went after them. Both of them had been taken out by some sort of device...how it got on them I don't know. In any case, Mitch and I got them both on the Wing. It was under heavy fire so--"

"Stop. I know the rest."

"All right."

"Fifty-seven dead, a hundred ninety-eight wounded by our count. I can understand that to a certain extent, but you recklessly endangered the others. For now, you are confined to the base."

"I followed my orders."

"Yes, you did, and I'm taking that into consideration."

"I accept the responsibility, but I was doing my job."

"Which is why I want to speak with the one giving the orders before I take further action."

"And I must say that the one giving the orders doesn't know her ass from a hole in the ground."

"You did your job, soldier, and you did it well. Dismissed."

Harris stood slowly. "One more thing."

"Yes?"

"If you want things done right...either find someone who can lead, or do it yourself."

"In your opinion, could you have done any better?"

"I couldn't have done it myself, but yes. We basically went to war--"

"I'll take that under consideration. I sent four, not one, due to the possibility of fighting."

"Understood. But four without proper leadership...they're good as dead. We're meant to be a team down there. And next time I see a teammate not helping..."

"Answer me this: when all hell broke loose, why did you go after the tank, and not help your teammates?"

"Because of the civilians. The others were nowhere to be seen, and these men were running. I took the chance because I thought I could save some lives. My mistake, I guess."

"You are to remain in the Nest for now. This is not a punishment as of yet, only a precaution."

Harris nodded. "So be it."

"Dismissed."

"Another thing...I don't care what this means, but I want you to know. The next time I see a teammate not doing their part due to stupidity, they're done. The life of one means nothing compared to the lives of the team."

"I agree, Harris, but it's not your place to decide."

"Maybe so..."

"No. Unless I die on the battlefield, I have a final say. I do see your point of view on this--"

"If you're not there," Harris said, barely able to contain his anger, "And this person is getting others killed..." He shook his head.

"The death of a teammate due to rules being broken is something that falls upon me to be handled. And if I let you judge what happened today, how many Ravens would I have now?"

"Saki is the only one I have an issue with. She was in charge. And you're right, it's not my say..."

"You're right."

"But you had better take another damned look at the people you have working for you, before we're all killed."

Crimson stood and turned his back to Harris, who stood there for half a moment staring at him. Then Harris also turned and muttered, "I didn't come here to die. I came to do a job, and if things change then you'll be finding someone to replace me."

"Funny...you were sent here to kill me. That was your job then."

"Had I known..."

"Now I send you to kill others. Things _will_ change, Harris. Things always change."

"That they do..."

"Can we be strong enough to change with them?" He turned back around to face Harris. "Next time, maim the officers and kill the criminals."

"Next time..."

"If you have to."

"Next time, put someone competent in charge."

"If I live that long..."

Harris turned around. "You?"

"I will."

"What do you mean?"

"It's not easy being the boss..." Crimson sat down wearily. "I've had more lead in me than I can ever measure, Harris. And I've seen some very big shit come down. If and when it happens, Harris, you won't have to worry about killing your own teammates. You'll have to deal with finding new ones. 

"Genom is growing. They're up to something big, and at this point I can't even find out what it is."

"Well, then. Are you up for it?"

"Always."

"Good. Then there won't be any problems."

"I've been fighting since before you were born...but even I know it can't last. And as for Saki...she will be dealt with."

"She's a strong woman, I'll say that much. But she's not a leader."

"No. She was, though, at one time."

"I wouldn't have killed her, but her time is done now."

"I know." Crimson shook his head. "More than I can tell you, I know."

"Well, then."

"Get your leg looked at, and get off of it." Crimson ordered.

Harris shook his head. "It's all right."

"Bullshit."

"It was just a scratch. Though the hardsuit's a different matter."

"Sure, it won't kill you, but gangrene's a bitch. The suit's under repair; don't worry about that."

Harris sighed. "All right. I'll get it looked at...sir..."

"Do that. I'm not paying Branks to sit here and look pretty all day."

"Heh. All right. ...Anything else?"

"Yes, now that you mention it...although it has nothing to do with the operations of the group. Did you ask her out, or did she ask you?"

"She asked. Why?"

"From what I see, there's another who looks to you. Which would make matters worse if you had asked."

Harris sighed. _Damn it... _"Apparently I'm getting too many admirers here."

"Just two. Pick one. Either."

"Pick?"

"Or whatever you consider..."

"I don't understand."

"Saki, or Shaine. Pitting the two of them against each other is not going to help the working relations of this team."

Harris shook his head. "I'm not interested in Saki, if that's what you mean."

"No, I didn't think you were. She's a lot like you, in many ways..."

"Maybe so. But she's a lot different in others - as I have already seen."

"Agreed."

"Well, then...what is to be done?"

"Why didn't you relieve her of command?"

"I hadn't been given the authority, and by the time everything went to hell I was holding off about fifty soldiers by myself."

"I see. So if you had been given that authority, would the death count have been as high?"

"If I had been in charge, we would have gotten in and out and not had the time to get anyone killed. The big mistake was going after him in the middle of the speech. I would have waited until he was alone, outside, or at least until I felt the time was right."

Crimson nodded.

"We had the advantage of cloaking, but still went with a frontal assault. If I had known what was going to happen, I would have suggested that I go after Oliver, instead of playing pass the prisoner and giving him the chance to get away. And there was something else as well..."

"Which is?"

"The recording. The speech itself. There are recordings on the suits. Oliver...these men..."

"I haven't reviewed it yet."

"They're vigilantes, from what I could tell. They want to rid the world of Boomers."

"Sounds familiar."

"Saki kept with her orders, though. Just went on with her original orders. And something wasn't right..."

"With Saki, or with them?"

"With the whole situation. We shouldn't have been there, at least not the way we came in..."

"Did it strike you as odd that they had a tank?"

"Yeah. It also struck me as odd that the media showed up so quick."

"I know there's more to this Oliver...would you say that he wanted the media there?"

"I think so. And even though we took them out - by accident - there's probably footage of the plane."

"And of the suits. I know. Rai radioed ahead."

"And he got away. That shouldn't have happened."

"No, you're right. It shouldn't have."

"Either he found out somehow..."

"Or we have a leak."

"Maybe. Or maybe not."

Crimson nodded. "And there is a third option."

"This may have been a setup against Boomers as well. And we just happened to step into it."

"I agree. Oliver was out to show the world how evil Boomers are, and we just happened to oblige him by playing the Boomer."

"Right...as far as anyone else knows."

"And that gives the upper hand to Genom."

"So we were 'Boomers'..."

"Don't be too certain about that. We do have our fair share of enemies."

Harris nodded. "True. So now we have the world to deal with..."

"And Carter and Kohl will know something is up. It's the fine line, Harris: save the world, stay out of the light...go into the light and be seen...be seen, and be hunted..."

Harris shook his head. "It was only a matter of time before it happened."

"True. But before, that time was ours to choose. Damage control...it's a whole new game. One which I need to get back on top of."

"All right, then."

Crimson walked Harris out of the office, then went back to his desk and turned on some music.

///

There was a knock at the door. Shaine turned the CD player down a little, then rushed to the door.

"Oh...Saki! Hi!..."

"Hello." She paused for a moment, listening to the music. _I don't need nobody/I don't need the weight of words to find a way/To crash on through... _"I...has Crimson been to see you yet?"

"No."

"Have you seen him around here?"

"I haven't seen anyone." _Shit, she looks like she's about to face the firing squad..._

"I'm sorry for putting you in danger."

"Yeah, well... I got stuff to get done. Anything else you wanted?"

"No. I should go and find Crimson. It was nice knowing you." She walked away.

"Huh." Shaine sat down and brought the volume up again, singing softly. "You're all I need/Yeah, and the water runs deep..."

A dialog box popped up, then her mail program. It was a message from Crimson:

_You are invited to my office. Please come promptly at your best available time. With love, Crimson._

_"With love?" Shit, what is wrong with these people? Gotta be something in the water. Or maybe it's the beef. Yeah._ She turned off the CD player entirely. _Let's get this over with._

As she approached the office, she could hear another kind of music coming from inside: _...was born in Chicago, back in 1951/My father told me,/Son you better get a gun..._

_Blues. Yech._ "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Close the door." Crimson turned in his chair. "And have a seat." 

He thumbed a remote and the music stopped. "Care for something to drink?"

"No, thanks."

"So. What happened out there?"

"I have no fucking clue. I did what Saki told me...I'm no tactician...and I didn't exactly get to see much of what was going on after it all hit the fan."

"Okay, what happened to your suit?"

"I'm not sure. Oliver put some sort of device on it... You'd be better off asking a hardware jock."

"Did it erase any of your readings?"

"No. It was probably an anti-Boomer weapon, not designed to trash the suits. Or if it wasn't, they still wouldn't have any idea of how the suits tick, not without an absolutely legendary hacker."

"I'm inclined to believe that it was anti-Boomer. From what you could tell, did the mess out there happen because of Saki and Harris's involvement?"

Her eyes widened. 

"I know you don't know, I just want your opinion. A guess."

"I..." She shook her head.

"I see.

"I need you to keep an eye out for trouble amongst the team, when on a mission."

She nodded ever so slightly. _Oh, shit...this is going to get me killed... Why couldn't I have just stuck with Boomers?_

"At this point your function is to keep the comm open.. I think that this is a part of it. You're not going to be a snitch; just use your best judgment when someone is acting out of line. Harris has been very open as to how he feels--"

"No shit," she muttered.

"But I think that he'd have half the team gone by now, if he had his way. Whether he needed them or not. Both of these things could have been handled in a different matter, if it was more forthcoming."

Shaine stared at him coldly, trying to keep all traces of emotion off of her face.

"Off the record, what are your personal feelings on what happened?"

"Saki...tried to control things too much. To do everything herself. That much was obvious even to me. She...she seemed to regard us as subhuman.

"Or maybe she just saw herself as being better."

"That is a possibility. She's been around for a long time, and she still can't let go of her past. Or her training. She was an assassin. A ninja. She's tough, strong, stubborn...and yet she's still too much like a child.

"At the time, she was perfect for this job: she tried to kill me. Jumped me after work. We fought, I bested her, and I set her free. Broke both of her swords... I had given her her life back, or so I thought.

"The next day it was the same thing, only with poison darts. And the next, with daggers. It went on for two weeks exactly the same way, though she did change the timing a bit. But she always tried to kill me by hand. A few nights after her last attempt, I was patrolling the city. Back then, Boomer attacks were days apart."

Crimson suddenly looked much older than he had before. "There were maybe ten ninjas, clad in black and straight out of a movie. Saki was in the middle, and the fight was getting worse. I stepped in to help her. She was badly beaten and dying...I somehow managed to get her back to the Nest. But it took three weeks to save her, even with the medical knowledge we had then. She was awake but bedridden, and I visited her every day. 

"At first it was slow going." He chuckled. "I had a few meals thrown at me. But at last she began to talk, and to listen, and I found out what a scarred child was hidden inside that shell. You would think that after all it takes to become a ninja there would be nothing left. She was two when she began training to become a killer.

"You know...a week after she got out of that hospital bed...she tried to kill me again. Only that time, I was ready. I had her at swordpoint, waiting to finish what we had begun two months before...when I offered her a new life, a way away from her past. An out. It took her a week to figure out that I meant it.

"Until this time she has been steadfast. She has never failed, and never made a mistake when it counted. I wish I could say Erik and Carter had a hand in it...but unless they've gone to nanoprobes, there's another problem."

"I don't know. It looked like she was trying to prove herself to someone."

"She was. And I think it may have been between you, Harris, and her..."

Shaine's head jerked up. "That's none of your fucking business!"

"She went to kill Erik not for herself, but out of fear for you. She wanted you to be free of him."

_What the fuck...?_

"And she did kill him. Or at least a Boomer of him."

"Yeah, I know."

"...Which is a first. She can tell humans from Boomers--"

"Obviously not well enough."

"It's some ninja thing; they listen to the heartbeat or something. I believe the Boomer was some other kind."

"Yeah." _You Nexus-6, huh? _

"And this last mission...I think she was trying to prove herself to all of us. To me, for her mistake; to you, for not freeing you...and to Harris."

"I don't think she cares very much about 'freeing' me anymore. But again, that's none of your business."

"No, it's not. But then again...people are funny things. You can be the worst kind of person, and yet if someone cares about you...somewhere, in some way..."

_Screw this. I can't believe he brought me here just to listen to him wax poetic..._

"Take Sylia Stingray." _What...?! _"She's a royal pain in my ass..."

"_Stingray?_"

"Yeah."

"As in, Katsuhiro Stingray?"

"Yeah, his kid. She's a handful, overbearing, stuck up. But in the end, she cares only about putting right what her father unintentionally made wrong...and to see humanity live on after Genom. Noble idea, good intentions. But she has to do it her way, no exceptions. That's overshadowed everything she's tried to do.

"Did you ever meet Katsuhiro-sama?"

"No." _I was nine when he died...gods, was Dad depressed when he found out..._

"Neither have I. I know of his work, what he did...but if I had, I would've slapped him for letting Sylia loose on the world." He grinned.

"But the point which my rambling has brought us to...the best intentions sometimes bring the worst results." He looked her in the eye. "I'm sorry for keeping you this long."

Shaine stood and walked to the door.

"Shaine, thank you." She kept going, giving no response, as the blues began to play from Crim's office once again.


End file.
